Full Circle
by bhappy4urlife
Summary: This story picks up after Paige left for San Fransisco. Eventualy Paily. So this is a new territory so go easy on me. All reviews welcomed. Tell me if I should continue writting or not
1. Chapter 1

I woke up right before the plane landed. It was 4 a.m. when I heard the pilot talking to the microphone. 10 minutes later my foot touched the ground and I was officially 3000 miles away from the love of my life. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks as I started thinking about her. No I have to stop thinking about her.

I started walking towards the toilets so I could wash my face. I didn't want my parents see me like this. I opened the door and I saw a girl around my age washing her hands. She was shorter than me. She had green eyes and long brown hair. As a started walking towards her she turned to look at me with a pair of mesmerizing eyes. I quickly whipped the tears and walked towards the sink. I could tell that she was thinking what to do. Maybe she thought that she should ask me if I was ok. I wasn't. I washed my face and left the toilet leaving the confused girl behind me.

I found my parents waiting for me in the waiting room. Τhey hugged me and we started walking towards the exit. My dad explained to me what was going to happen. I was going to stay in a dorm at Stanford and start taking lessons so I could catch up with the other kids.

My dad turned on the radio on my favorite station. As music filled the cars tears started running down my cheeks. I knew this song. It was "The Scientist" by Coldplay. It used to be one of my favorite till today. I today it just reminded me Emily, of how messed up things were between us. My dad's voice pulled me off my thoughts.

"Wow! Look at this honey! It's stunning!"

We were now in the campus, driving towards the dorm rooms.

"I can get used to this." I thought.

"So what do think kido?" My dad said.

"It's beautiful."

"Well I'm glad you liked it. Let's go see your dorm room shall we ?"

I nodded in response.

We parked the car outside the building. We all took a moment to admire the view in front of us. After a minute we got out of the car and my dad opened the trunk handing me and my mom a box filled with my stuff. As I turned around I saw a guy walking towards us. He was around 19. He was a little taller than I was and had hazel eyes and brown hair.

"Hello, I'm Jay. Are you the McCullers family?" He asked.

"Yes, we are. I'm Nick, this is Eleanor and my daughter Paige."

"Well, it's nice to meet you." He said as he shook my hand.

"I was send here by the coach of the swim team to show you to your room and give you a tour around campus."

"Ok. Lead the way." My dad said.

As we were walking into the building I could see that he was a little bit nervous. I was walking next to him with my parents following from behind.

"So, you swim? " I asked trying to look interested.

"Yes, I'm the captain of the male swim team. Normally Kris should pick you up but her plane landed today so she couldn't. "

"Who's Kris? "

"She's the captain of the female swim team. Can I see the number of your room ? "

I nodded and gave him my keys with the room number on them. He smirked.

"What's so funny?" I asked him.

"Well apparently Kris is not only going to be your team captain."

I looked at him confused.

"You're also sharing the same room." He said as he stopped outside a wooden door.

"This is your room. I'm going to let you unpack and I'll come back later to give you a tour to the campus." He said as he walked away.

For some weird reason I was anxious to meet my new roommate.

After an hour we had unpacked and I was settled in. We heard a knock on the door and I stood up and started walking towards her. It was Jay.

* * *

An hour later our tour was over. Jay took everywhere and showed us everything. I learned lots of things about him. He was 20 years old, from Chicago, studying anthropology. He was an only child and currently single.

When we finely reached my room at around 9 o' clock my parents decided that they had to get to work and promised me that they would call me later. Jay on the other hand that it would be better if he stick around a little longer and I couldn't agree more. Since I didn't know anyone else here his company sounded like a good idea.

"So, are you hungry?" He asked.

"I'm starving"

"That's what I thought. Let's go grab a bite. Since you're new here I should probably show you some places where you can eat too."

"Ok, let's go." I said walking behind him. Before Jay could reach the door, she opened and a girl got in.

"Kris, you're back!" Jay said when he saw the girl.

"Hey, Jay! Yes, I'm back but what are you doing in my room?" She asked. She then saw me and I realize that this wasn't the first time I had seen this girl. She was the girl a saw in the airport's toilet. Jay saw us looking each other so he thought it was time to interfere.

"Kris, this is Paige. Your new roommate. Paige, this is Kris." He said.

"Hi, Paige. Nice to meet you." She said while she extended her hand.

"It's nice to meet you too." I said and shook her hand.

* * *

**_Kris' POV_**

"Watch were you're going asshole! Look what you did! You threw coffee all over my shirt!" I said after that guy spilled his coffee.

I walked towards the airport's toilet so I could clean up my shirt. While in the toilet the door opens. A tall girl walks in. She has long auburn hair and a pair of beautiful brown eyes filled with tears. For a reason I kinda panicked. I wanted to hug and comfort her but this was none of my business and besides I didn't even knew who she was. So I kept trying clean up my shirt and mind my own business.

After a long drive with a taxi I found outside of the airport I had finally reached my destination. Stanford University. I had a swimming scholarship and I was the new captain of the swim team. From the outside my life was perfect. I walked down the hall that led to my room. I stood outside my room and put my keys in the keyhole.

"The door's unlocked. Weird." I thought. I opened the door and I saw Jay standing in front of me.

"Kris, you're back!" He said.

"Hey, Jay! Yes, I'm back but what are you doing in my room?" I said but then I noticed a girl standing behind Jay.

"Wait a second, I know this girl. She's the girl from the airport's toilet! But what is she doing here?" I thought. Jay saw me thinking and he thought he had to break the silence.

"Kris, this is Paige. Your new roommate. Paige, this is Kris." I looked at the girl in front of me.

"Paige, huh? So that's her name. Who would have thought that I would bump into her again? Maybe next time I will be able to comfort her." I thought.

"Hi, Paige. Nice to meet you." I said while extending my hand.

"It's nice to meet you too." Her husky voice sent a shiver through my body.

"This is going to be an interesting year." I thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Ok, so I'm back with the second chapter of Full Circle ! I wanna thank you for the reviews, they were really encouraging. Here we go. Hope you'll like it as much as you liked the previous one._**

* * *

_**Jay's POV**_

"Ok, and now that you two have met each other I think it's time to grab some breakfast. Kris are you joining us?" I could tell that there was something going on between these two but from my experience with Kris she didn't like to be asked questions.

"Nah, I don't want to ruin the company."

"You're not going to ruin anything. Plus you and Paige should get to know each other better. Right, Paige?"

"Yeah, right. But I guess you don't want to drink coffee, do you?" Paige said with a smirk. For some weird reason Kris smirked too.

"What the hell is wrong between these two?" I thought confused.

"Ok, so Paige and I will go to Max's for breakfast and you can come when you're done unpacking ok?"

"Ok, sure. I'll catch up with you later." She said and we left.

Once Paige and I reached Max's café we sat near the window so it would be easier for Kris to find us.

"So, Kris?" I asked Paige as soon as we sat down.

"What about her?"

"What's going on between you to?"

"Nothing."

"Seriously? I saw the way you two looked each other. Yeah, that's right I was in that room too." I said a little bit annoyed.

"I it's kinda funny actually but to tell you what's going on between us I'll have to tell you the story of my life." She said and I could feel the sadness take her over.

"Well, I don't mind. We have plenty of time."

"I think that it would be better if Kris was here too. I owe her some explanation too."

* * *

_**Paige's POV**_

"I'm gonna have the omelet." I said to the waitress.

"And you sir?" She asked Jay.

"I'm gonna have the same."

"Ok, 2 omelets. Do you want some coffee or some juice?"

"An orange juice for me." I said.

"A latte for me." Jay said and gave the waitress our menus.

She left with our orders just when the door opened and Kris came in. She headed towards us and sat down.

"The waitress just left with our orders but we can call her again if you want." Jay said.

"Nah, I can order later." She then turned and looked at me.

"It's Paige right?"

"Yes."

"Ok, then Paige where are you from?"

"Rosewood, Pennsylvania."

"I've never heard of that place before."

"Lucky you." I mumbled.

"So, tell me about you. Do you have a scholarship? How old are you? Are you single?"

"Oh, ok. I'm 18. I'm here with swimming scholarship and well it's kinda complicated." I said remembering the girl I left behind.

"You broke up?"

"Not exactly. I left her behind."

"Her?" I was afraid that she was gonna say that.

"Yes, I'm gay. Is that ok with you?" I asked cautiously.

"Yeah, I was just surprised, that's all. So tell us about her."

"I guess it's time to give you some explanations. Are you guys ready?" Kris was confused and Jay was like a kid ready for his bedtime story.

"I'll take that as a yes. Here we go then." I was about to start when the waitress came with our orders. Kris ordered a strawberry smoothie and a blueberry muffin.

"This is a big story so I'm gonna try to tell you only the important parts. 3 years ago in Rosewood a girl named Alison disappeared. She was the Queen Bee of Rosewood High and used to bully everybody except her 4 friends Spencer, Aria, Hanna and Emily. Spencer was the smart one. She was an overachiever and a great student. We didn't go very well at the beginning but later we became friends. Aria was the artsy one. She's dating one of our old teachers but she's not a slut. She's very good girl and has a great personality. Hanna was… well Hanna is difficult to be described. After Alison's disappearance she became the Queen Bee but without the other girls. The point is that before Alison's disappearance she was… chubby and shy. That's why after they discovered Alison's body she became the number one suspect. And then there's Emily." My voice cracked.

"She is the one isn't she?" Kris asked.

"Yeah."

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to." Kris said. She seemed concerned.

"No. I owe you an explanation and I have to talk to somebody or else I'll explode."

"Ok. Take your time." I took a deep breath trying to calm down. I didn't want to drag them in the whole A mess so I had to pick my words wisely. I had to explain them why I left without mentioning all those murders cause then I would have to elaborate and that was exactly what I was trying to avoid. Meanwhile the waitress came with Kris' order. When she left I started again.

"With Emily things were different. Let's just say that I made a lot of mistakes. We began as competitors for the swim team's captain's position. She was out of the closet and I wasn't. I knew I liked her. When we started dating I told her that I couldn't come out yet and that was one of the reasons that we broke up in the first place. We started dating again a few months later. Everything was perfect until Alison, the girl who disappeared and then her body was found, came back to Rosewood." I waited for a second to see their reactions. They were mostly confused and a little bit shocked.

"Yeah, I know it sounds crazy but that's how things are in Rosewood. Anyway when Alison came back we broke up. Alison was Emily's first love but that wasn't the reason we broke up. Actually she broke up with me." I decided to keep the reason for myself. I continued.

"After we broke up I made some attempts to win her back but she just kept rejecting me. I figured that if I couldn't be her girlfriend I should at least be her friend. But there where times when I thought that she wanted to tell me something. One day in school she told me she wanted to talk. I told her that we should but I couldn't that day. Things got awkward when I decided to take another girl for a movie the same day this event took place and since it was a theme movie I wore a dress. You see, Emily was working at a café shop called 'The Brew', so while me and my date where all set for the movies she wanted a cup of coffee and since 'The Brew' was the closest café shop and I knew Emily didn't worked this shift anymore I got inside to buy our coffees. I was about to leave with our coffees when I heard a familiar voice calling my name. I turned around and saw Emily looking at me smiling. But this wasn't the only thing I saw. I saw the look in her eyes. It was… heartbroken, disappointed. You could practically feel the awkwardness between us so I left. The next day at school I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to make clear my intentions which were to win her back. After my date with the other girl the whole night felt phony and I wanted to give Emily an explanation. I found her outside her locker. We talked for a while and then she reminded to me that we never had our talk. I told her that I was tired of talking and kissed her. It wasn't a long kiss but she didn't back off. While spending Christmas together my parents told me that they wanted me to move to California before the end of school year. Three months later Emily and I share our last kiss together at the airport." I stopped. I was about to cry. I took a deep breath and looked at Jay.

"I saw Kris at the airport's toilet trying to clean up her shirt. I was crying before and I didn't want my parents to see me like that. That's why Kris and I have been acting weird. Because we couldn't believe how we bumped into each other again."

"Have you talked to her since you left?" Kris asked breaking the silence.

"No. I'm not sure what to tell her." We stopped talking and finally started eating. The only sound in the cafeteria was the music coming out of the speakers. But the silence didn't last for very much. My phone's screen lit up and music filled the room. However I knew who was calling before music started playing. The song just confirmed my theory. This song was only for her. Only for Emily. 'Kiss me again' by We Are In The Crowd continued playing until Kris started talking.

"Aren't you gonna get that?" Kris seemed impressed. I didn't answer. I couldn't talk to her. I felt guilty for leaving her behind with A. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks. By calling she only reminded me of what I couldn't have. I denied the call.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thank you all for the reviews and for waiting till I upload the next chapter. Now, to be honest I'm not sure how many chapters it will take till the Paily reunion but it won't take that long. I just need you to trust me. Hope you'll enjoy. Reviews are more than welcomed.**_

* * *

_**Emily's POV**_

I opened my eyes as I felt the sunlight light up my room. I felt numb. I dreamt about her. I dreamt about that time we had picnic in the woods. Damn Fields, she's gone. You are not even sure if she'll come back. I mean why would she want to come back. With all the A drama I can understand why she wouldn't wanna come back. I feel like I've got nothing to live for. Nothing to wait for.

I checked the time. It was half past eight. I gathered all the courage I had and sat on my bed. I wanted to call her.

"She probably hasn't settled on her dorm yet so maybe you should call her later." My mom said as she got into my room.

"How you knew what I was thinking?" I asked surprised.

"Well, it wasn't that hard if you consider that your girlfriend left last night."

"I should have seen that coming."

"So what are your plans for today?" She asked as she sat next to me.

"I think I'm gonna go jogging." I said and stood up. I changed into my running gear and left the house. I put on my headphones and music filled my ears. A couple of songs later panic and sadness took over me. I don't usually listen to that kind of music but I really liked this song. Although this time I wished I had deleted it because it's lyrics aren't exactly the ones I need right now. As 'Waiting for the end' by Linkin Park continued playing I felt like I couldn't take it anymore.

"_Waiting for the end to come Wishing I had strength to stand This is not what I had planned It's out of my control Flying at the speed of light Thoughts were spinning in my head So many things were left unsaid It's hard to let you go"_

I was on my knees trying to keep it together. I couldn't.

"Damn it!" I said in frustration. I was crying. I tried to stop the music but nothing happened. The pause button didn't work. Suddenly I received a message. It was from A.

"See how easy it was for me to make Paige go away? Now the only thing I have to do it's give you a push and watch you bend and break. –A"

-A had hacked my iPod. Unbelievable.

"Screw you!" I yelled and threw my phone on the road. But I regretted it immediately since I remembered that I had to call Paige so I got it back. Once it was in my hands I headed back home while trying to calm down.

By the time I got home it was 10 o' clock. I found my mom in the kitchen washing the dishes. I sat on a chair and decided that it was time to call Paige. I pressed speed dial and I waited for her to pick up. She didn't. She denied the call. Thank God I was sitting cause I don't think I would be able to prevent myself from breaking down.

"Maybe she press the wrong button. Or maybe she is busy. Or maybe…." I thought as I started crying. My mom saw me and hugged me tight without asking questions.

"Why isn't she picking it up mom? Is she breaking up with me? Has something bad happened to her?" I asked with a shaking voice.

"There's no way Paige is breaking up with you, Em. You know how much she loves you."

"Yeah, but what if something bad has happened to her?"

"Don't go there, Em. Paige is probably busy with unpacking and settling up. She'll call you when she can. Now, why don't you take a shower?" She said while leading me towards the bathroom.

* * *

_**Kris' POV**_

After breakfast Paige and I headed back to our dorm while Jay left for his swim practice. We didn't talk much on our way back. After listening to her story my emotions towards her were complicated. I felt pity because she was so broken, but there was more. I wanted something from her. I was just too scared to admit it. Once we got back to our dorm we realized we had nothing to do. We still didn't knew each other well enough to have a conversation on our own. Eventually Paige decided it was time to break the silence.

* * *

_**Paige's POV**_

"So, what about your life? I hope I'm not crossing the boundaries I'm just trying to get to know you better." I said a bit nervous.

"No, it's ok. Well, there's not much to tell. I was born in Los Angeles, I'm 19 years old, captain of swim team and I'm here with swimming scholarship, studying biology."

"What about your family?" I asked cautiously.

She smirked realizing that I was scared to ask in order not to cross the boundaries.

"You don't have to worry about crossing the boundaries. You're not. Ok, so my mother is a lawyer and my dad teaches ancient history at Harvard. He was pretty disappointed when I told him I was going on Stanford. I also have a brother, Austin, he is 5 years older than me and he is a computer programmer. What else do you want to know?" She seemed happy with the conversation so I tried to find something else to ask her. But I couldn't. She was the one to break the silence.

"Nothing? Ok. I guess I'll have to come up with something."She stopped for a second to thing what to ask and then continued.

"When are you going back?" I was caught off guard. I tried to change the subject.

"Wow. I just came here and you're already asking when an I leaving."

"I didn't meant it that way. I just figured that since you love your girlfriend so much you would go visit her soon."

"It's not like that. Things aren't so simple. There's a reason why I left in the first place." She waited for me to continue talking and when she realized that I wasn't she spoke.

"Is she coming here then?"

"I don't know."

"Of course you don't since you didn't answer her phone call." She said annoyed.

"Excuse me?!"

"You're not the only one who lost something when you left. She lost you too, Paige." She practically yelled at me. She was angry I could tell. I just didn't know why She grabbed her jacket and left.

"Am I missing something here? Did I do something wrong? Why is she so mad at me?" I said confused to myself.

* * *

_**Kris' POV**_

We were just talking and then all of a sudden I got so mad at her for leaving Emily behind. It wasn't her fault that I got mad at her. It's just that she reminded so much of myself. The only thing she did was to remind me of what I've done. She wasn't the only one she had left someone behind. I had too. But nobody knew that. Only me and her.

I was walking around the campus when I realized that I had yelled at Paige. She must think that I'm crazy after what I did. I started walking back to my dorm. I had to apologize to Paige but I wasn't sure if I could give her an explanation about my outburst.

* * *

_**Paige's POV**_

Kris was right. I wasn't the only one that lost somebody. Emily lost me too. The point is that I couldn't stand the idea of A hurting her and me not being able to do something to prevent it. I laid on my bed and started looking at pictures of me and Emily. We were so happy. The funny part is that I promised to myself that I wouldn't hurt her and yet I'm the reason she's broken-hearted and left with A. Tears filled my eyes again. The jet-lag hit me and I felt tired. My eyes closed and I was dragged into my dreams.

"_It looks incredible! But, it's just so far away." She looked kinda sad. And I was too excited._

"_That's what I love about it. It's got one of the best swim programs in the country. Thought you'd be exited."_

"_Oh, it's an amazing opportunity. You have to take it. You have to say yes."_

"_It's an amazing opportunity for us, Emily. I want you to come with me."_

"_To Stanford?!"_

"_They offered me a full ride. And you're as good as I am. If they want me they'll want you too."_

"_I just always thought I was gonna go to Danby."_

"_Danby is great. But you and me in California. Think about it! Except from Hawaii you can't find a college that's further away from Rosewood. Further away from A. We'll live together. And you can decorate the place however you want. We'll study on the beach, spend weekends in San Francisco and how fun would it be to drive across country?! You and me, donuts and dinners. We can start over out there. Don't you want to live in a place where you're not afraid of the dark? In a place that I don't always have to be afraid for you?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Yes?"_

"_I wanna go. I wanna be with you."_

"_Oh yes!"_

"_I really love you."_

"_Come here."_

"_I love you too."_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hey guys. So here it is the next chapter of my story. To all of you who want to see the paily reunion happening soon I can't tell them for sure when it's going to happen. There are some things that need to be done before the reunion but I promise you won't get bored. Again, thank you so much for the reviews, favs and follows. Reviews are ALWAYS welcomed. Hope you'll enjoy.**_

* * *

_**Kris' POV**_

I looked at my watch. It was lunch time so I went to buy some food. After buying a pizza I headed back to my dorm. I opened the door only to find Paige drooling over her phone. I couldn't stop myself from smiling and thinking that she was adorable. I decided that it would be best to let her sleep. I sat on the table and started eating the pizza I had bought while watching her sleeping. After 2 slices of pizza I felt full. I realized that since I've come back here I haven't really paid any attention to our room. Or at least at Paige's side. I picked up one of her family photos. That's all she had. Family photos. Where was Emily? I decided that I should probably stop looking and start doing my homework. I sat on my desk and started.

"It's an amazing opportunity for us Emily." I heard Paige mumble. She was talking in her sleep. I smiled although I felt intrigued by her dream. She continued.

"Danby is great."

"Danby?!" I thought. "Emily is going to Danby?"

"We can start over out there. Don't you want to live in a place where you're not afraid of the dark? In a place where I don't always have to be afraid for you?" What the hell is she talking about?! What's going on. I felt guilty for listening, like I was intruding her personal space. I decided to leave her alone. It was practice time anyway.

* * *

_**Paige's POV**_

I woke up when I heard my phone ringing. It was Emily. Once again panic took over me. But before I could do anything the song stopped. It must have be ringing for some time before I woke up.

"Should I call her back?" I asked myself. What was I supposed to tell her? _"Hey Emily, sorry for not replying to any of your calls. I was too busy crying for losing you." _I felt stupid. I checked the time. It was 6 o' clock and I already had 3 phone calls from Emily which happened while I was sleeping. I decided that I would handle it later. I was too hungry to think. I found the pizza and ate till I was full. I sat on my desk and opened my laptop. I had 4 e-mails from Emily. After reading them all I realized just how much Emily missed me. I missed her too. I decided to send her a response to one of her e-mails.

"Hey, Em. I know that you've been trying to get in touch with me and I'm sorry for not responding to your calls but I've been pretty busy. I hope you're doing fine. Look, you know how much I love you but I can't keep doing this. I know that I'm the one who moved away but I can't keep pretending that everything is fine cause I know it's not. What I'm trying to tell you is that I need some space. Hope you understand. But that doesn't change the fact that I love you. Don't forget that Em."

By the time I finished writing the e-mail I was about to cry. I pressed send and I heard a noise. After that the door opened and Kris got in.

"Oh, you're up." She said surprised.

"Yeah. I woke up an hour ago. Thanks for the pizza by the way. The rest of it is in the fridge."

"Look Paige, I'm sorry for my earlier outburst. It wasn't your fault and I was being insensitive."

"It's alright, I guess. You were right after all." I stopped talking for a moment. I wanted to ask her why she reacted like that but I wasn't sure if I should. She must have understand what I was thinking cause she practically answered to my unspoken question.

"I know you probably want to know why I did it and someday I hope I can tell you but I'm not ready yet. I hope you can forgive me." What did she meant by that?

"It's ok. You don't have to apologize. And you don't have to tell me the reason if you don't want to or if you're not ready."

* * *

_**Emily's POV**_

"Can I come in?" I heard my mom saying behind my bedroom's door.

"Sure. What's up?"

"Your dad wanted me to send him some photos via e-mail. Can I use your laptop?"

"Yeah, no problem. Tell him I said hi."

"Will do." My mom said as she opened my laptop.

"Hey Em, have you checked your e-mails recently?" She asked curious.

"I checked them a few hours ago, why?" I said as I started walking towards my desk.

"You have an e-mail from Paige."

"WHAT? Let me see." I practically pushed her from the chair she was sitting on.

"Do you want me to call later so you can read it alone?" She said cautiously.

"No, just wait a sec." I started reading the text quietly. By the time I finished reading, my mom was trying to calm me down. She hugged me tightly after realizing that something was wrong. But she didn't ask any questions.

"She says that she loves me but she can't do this and that she needs some space." I said shaking while trying to hold my tears.

"Shhhh, it's ok honey. She just needs some space in order to figure things out. You have to respect that."

A couple of hugs and deep breaths later I was on my way to Hanna's house where we were having a sleep over. It was an attempt from the girls to make me feel better but I didn't think it was going to work.

"Hey Em, you made it." Hanna said when she opened the door. However when she saw me like this, red eyed from crying, she realized something was wrong and hugged me. We got inside and went on Hanna's bedroom where the other girls were sitting. After we sat down I explained them about the e-mail and they all listened very carefully while trying to reassure me that everything was going to be fine. We all fell asleep around 2 a.m. I was laying on Hanna's legs while Aria was using Spencer's shoulder as a pillow.

* * *

_**2 weeks later**_

_Emily was still struggling with the fact that Paige left for San Francisco while trying to figure out if her new co-worker, Talia, was flirting with her or not. On the other side of the States Paige was finally able to have a normal teenager life. She had started practicing for next year while she was taking some classes to catch up with her future classmates. Kris never explained to Paige about her outburst and Paige never asked. Jay, Kris and Paige had come very close and they were like the three musketeers. Paige didn't communicate with Emily since she sent her that e-mail. But there was something else bothering Paige's mind. Kris was an attractive woman and many guys had hit on her but she never did anything. She always said no. It was like she didn't care. And that made Paige question Kris._

* * *

_**Paige's POV**_

After practice was over we all headed to the locker room. After taking a shower Kris and I were about to leave the natatorium. We found Jay waiting for us outside.

"Hey, what are you doing here? I thought your practice starts at 5." I said.

"Yeah, well I wanted to ask you girls something. Actually, I wanted to ask Kris something." He said as he turned to look at her.

"Do you remember my friend Ron?"

"Yes. What about him?"

"Well, his brother bought tickets to a hockey game but he got sick so he gave them to Ron. So, Ron was wondering if you would like to go with him." He said a bit nervous.

"Look, Jay, I know Ron is your friend but I barely know the guy. I can't just go out with him."

"Oh no, you won't be alone with him. Paige and I will be there too."

"We will?" I said with a mix of surprise and confusion in my voice.

"Yeah, it's gonna be something like a double date."

"You know I'm gay, right?" I asked.

"We won't be there as a couple. We're going to be there just to avoid any awkwardness."

"I'm not so sure about it." Kris said.

"Look, the game is on Saturday. All I'm asking you to do is give him a chance. Think about it and when you're ready give me your answer." He said while leaving.

I already knew Kris' answer. No. I'm not saying that it's easy for her to reject everyone who asks her out but I don't think she'll ever say yes. When we reached our dorm she sat on her bed and covered her face with her hands. I could tell that something was wrong. I sat next to her and hugged her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked.

"I can't keep doing this anymore." She said. She was about to cry.

"What do you mean?" Ok, now I am confused.

"Paige there's something you need to know."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey ! So I'm back with the newest chapter of this story. Hope you'll enjoy ! Thanks for the reviews by the way. Just a reminder all reviews and PMs are more than welcomed, so feel free to express your opinion and make suggestions. Oh, and for that one guest who said that he/she didn't want to see of Em and Talia, realax you won't. ENJOY.**

* * *

_**Kris'**** POV**_

Paige seemed concerned.

"Ok, what is it?" She asked confused.

"Remember when you told us about Emily?"

"Yes….Where is this going?"

"I think it's time to explain my outburst." I waited for her to talk.

"Ok…" She said.

"As I've told you before I was born in Los Angeles. But my family moved to Boston when my dad started working at Harvard. I was 12 and Austin was 17. It wasn't easy for us to get use to live there but we managed it. We lost all contact with our friends from Los Angeles but we made new ones there. Everything was great until freshman year when I decided to start swimming. I was pretty good at it from the beginning and I made more friends, including a girl named Skye. She was taller than me, with red hair and green eyes. We cliqued from the beginning and became best friends almost immediately. A year later she came out as gay. I was clueless about that. And after she came out I was terrified. I didn't know why but I was. I stopped hanging out with her without giving her an explanation." I stopped so I could see Paige's reaction. She was kinda shocked. She told me to continue and that's what I did.

"I think that after a while she started to feel guilty. She thought it was her fault that I was being a jerk. I finally figured out why I was acting like this. The answer came to me when I saw Skye with her new girlfriend. I realized that I was just like Skye. Gay. A few days later I apologized to her and told her the truth about my sexuality. She forgave me and we started hanging out again. I started developing feelings for her but she was taken. When she broke up with her girlfriend I confessed my feelings to her. She took it fairly well but nothing happened between us. Couple of months later while sitting near the pool talking, she leaned and kissed me. I felt amazing. After that kiss I thought I could fly. We started dating after a while and everything was so great until she reminded me that I still wasn't out of the closet and that I had to. But I couldn't. We agreed on taking baby steps but I knew that in the end I wouldn't be able to do it. I mean, if my dad knew about it he would send me to North Pole to hang out with the polar bears." I tried to joke in order to light up the mood. It didn't work.

"Anyway, we continued our relationship in secret for about a year. But Skye wasn't stupid. She knew that I was stalling and that I wasn't planning to come out any time soon but for some reason she still waited for me to do it. It was like she didn't want to admit to herself that I was stalling. But in the meantime she felt like she was taking steps backwards. We started arguing about it a lot in senior year. It was tearing us apart but I couldn't do it. When I got the swimming scholarship at Stanford I was more than exited. But I didn't tell Skye about it. And when the year ended I just left. Without an explanation, I just left her behind." Paige was shocked. It was like she was staring at a complete stranger. And that stranger was now crying.

"That's why when you started crying over Emily I just got mad at you because I was so mad at myself." We sat there in silence for a while until Paige asked.

"Where is she now?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't talked to her for a year. A friend of mine told me she is studying at Williams College." I managed to say. Finally Paige hugged me trying to calm me down. She could tell that I hadn't got over Skye.

"You loved her, didn't you?" She asked.

"I did. But I never told her."

"Do you still love her?" She asked hesitantly.

The truth is I was still thinking about her. After one year she managed to stay in my mind and haunt it. But I never asked myself if I still loved her. I did.

"I do." I said quietly.

* * *

_**Paige's POV**_

Seeing Kris like that, so broken and fragile, was heartbreaking. She was a really strong person. Like Emily.

"Ok, get up." I said as I got up. It was about time to do something.

"What?" She lifted her head and looked at me with a confused look.

"I said, get up."

"Why?"

"For God's sake, Kris, just get up." She got up and waited for me to continue.

"First of all, have yourself a hot shower and then… you'll see." I said as I pushed her towards the bathroom.

As soon as I heard the water running I sat on the bed and tried to think of a way to help Kris. God, this girl's life is pretty messed up. I have to find a way to help her. First of all she has to come out. Her friends are probably the easy part but what about her parents. If Skye wasn't enough to make her come out then what will be? She is terrified by the thought of her parents learning about her sexuality but it needs to be done. Where is Emily when you need her? She would have found a way to deal with it. After all, she is the reason I came out.

Before I noticed Kris was out of the bathroom with only a towel covering her body.

"I just came to get some clothes." She said while she walked over her closet and took out some clothes. Once she was inside the bathroom again I grabbed a notebook and a pen and sat back on my bed. I started preparing a plan for Kris' com out. After hearing Kris coming out of the bathroom, I stopped writing and I told her to come sit next to me in the bed. When she did I stood up and started pacing. Kris was following me with her eyes but she didn't say anything. She was still red-eyed from crying.

"This" I said pointing at her "has to change."

She looked at me confused.

"You have to come out." Her expression changed immediately when she heard that.

"I can't."

"Ok, so what are you going to do when you fall for someone else again, huh?" She remained silent.

"That's what I thought. Look, as long as you're not out of the closet you won't be able to have a normal relationship. Don't you wanna be able to go out on dates without being afraid that somebody might see you?"

"I can't do it." She said quietly. I almost didn't hear her talking.

"I know it's hard but we'll take baby steps, ok?" No, response came.

"It's going to be easier, you'll see. We'll start with our close friends. How does that sounds?" She nodded in response.

"Are you willing to try?" I asked.

"I think so."

"Ok, how about we start with Jay? Is that ok with you?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, good. I'll call him, tell him that I'm cooking and invite him to dinner."

I grabbed my phone and dialed his number. After a second he answered.

"Yes?"

"Hey, Jay. So I was thinking about cooking something and have dinner with Kris. Would you like to join us?"

"Of course. What are you going to cook?" Damn I forgot to think about that.

"Ummm, how about some mac and cheese?"

"Sounds great. What time do you want me there?"

"What time does your practice ends?"

"Seven."

"Ok, then how about you come here around eight?"

"Yeah, cool. Should I bring anything?"

"A bottle of wine should do."

"Ok. See you at eight."

* * *

When the call ended Kris and I went grocery shopping. We were silent for most of our way. Once we got back I settled the ingredients for tonight's dinner in the table and I looked at the time. It was half past six. We had plenty of time. As Kris and I started preparing dinner I tried to reassure her that everything was going to be fine.

"Hey, relax. Jay has been a friend of yours for one year. Nothing is going to change that just because you'll tell him you're gay."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Kris, you didn't became gay yesterday. You were gay all along. You're still the same person you were all these years." I reminded Kris and remained silent.

"Plus, I'm going to be with you through everything. You're not alone on this one." She smiled thankful to what I was doing.

"How did you came out." Kris asked after a while.

"Remember when I told you about the first time Emily and I started dating?" She nodded.

"Well, she broke up with me because she felt like she was taking steps backwards since I wasn't out of the closet. Or at least that was one of the reasons. When she broke up with me I was mad with myself because I couldn't come out. Until one day I decided that I couldn't keep hiding anymore. So one day, I gathered my parents in the living room and told them."

"How did they take it?"

"Better than I thought they would. There was a little screaming and crying but still better."

"What about now? Do they accept you the way you are?"

"They do. And so will your parents after a while. Trust me."

* * *

_**Kris' POV**_

_Jay came just in time, _I thought as I opened the door. Everything was ready. The table was set, the food was cooked and Paige was right behind me ready to help me. The only thing missing was my confidence, and Jay noticed that.

"Hey." He said once I opened the door.

"Hey." Paige said when she saw that I wasn't going to talk.

"What's up with you?" He said looking at me.

"Nothing." I mumbled.

"Did you bring the wine?" Paige asked in an attempt to stop Jay from asking again.

"Yeah." Jay said and handed to Paige the bottle.

We sat on the table and start eating, Paige and Jay talking about swimming while I was thinking about the plan Paige had create. We were supposed to eat first so I could calm down and Jay remember that I was a great friend, since I couldn't be convinced that nothing was going to change between us, and at the end of the dinner I would tell him.

"I'm gay." I said suddenly unconscious of it though. Paige and Jay turned to look at me with eyes wide open. As soon as I realized what I did I covered my mouth with my hands.

What have I done?


	6. Chapter 6

**_Hey, guys. I'm so sorry for uploading this late but I couldn't find the time to write so... Yeah. BUT I'm here now with the sixth chapter! Yay! Also, thanks for the reviews, favs and follows. They give me one more reason to keep writing, so thank you guys for the support. Reviews and PMs are always welcomed. Hope you'll enjoy._**

* * *

_**Paige's POV**_

I don't know if I want to hug and congratulate her or punch her. What the hell is she trying to do? Jay looks shocked and so does Kris. God, does she even thinks before she speaks?

We sat there in silence just looking each other. That was until Jay spoke.

"What?" He said like he was trying to understand what he just heard.

"I'm gay." Kris whispered.

"Oh, ok." He said and stood up. He took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, Ron. So I spoke with Jay and she can't come at the hockey game. She's going to visit her parents in Boston." He waited for Ron's response and then ended the call.

"What are you doing?!" I said frustrated.

"She just confessed that she's gay and all you do is call your friend and tell him that Kris won't be able to go on a date with him?"

"Yes." I continued looking at him confused and frustrated as I waited for an answer. He turned to look at Kris.

"Just because you're gay doesn't mean that I'll stop being a friend of yours." He said sincerely, the realization finally hit him.

Kris definitely didn't see that coming. Although I knew Jay would take it well I never thought it would be like that. He crossed the room until he was next to Kris. And then he sat on his knees beside her.

"If you need help coming out to the others I'm here for you, ok?" Kris nodded. After that, Jay got up and hugged her.

* * *

_**Kris' POV**_

After last night's events I was more confident about coming out to my friends. But I still didn't know how I was going to do that.

Paige and I had just got into the locker room after our swim practice when I heard someone talking. It was Jennifer, a girl from the field hockey team, talking to Paige.

"Hey, Paige." She said.

"Oh, hey Jennifer. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you have any plans for tomorrow night. There's this film festival in San Francisco and I have an extra ticket so…."

"I can't tomorrow I promised Kris that I'll have dinner with her and her family."

"Oh, ok then. See you around I guess." For some reason I was glad that Paige rejected the offer.

Once we were out of Jennifer's earshot I turned to face Paige. "Why did you lie?"

"Because I didn't want to go out with her."

"Is this because of Emily?"

"I don't know. I'm just not ready to start dating other girls again. I don't even know what I'm going to do with Emily." She said sad.

"You're thinking of going back?" I wasn't so sure I wanted to hear an answer.

"Not yet. I can't."

"Why not? You keep saying that but you never said why."

"The less you know the better."

"I don't get it!" I said frustrated. "Every time I ask about Rosewood or Emily you just shut me out! Why?!"

"It's complicated." She said calm.

"I'm not stupid. I'll understand."

"I'm not saying you're stupid. But some things are better left alone." I didn't say anything else. This conversation was pointless. She wasn't going to tell me.

"Why you're asking anyway?" She asked.

"You are my friend P and seeing you sad over Emily makes me sad too. I want to help you like you're helping me."

"Help me with what?"

"Emily."

"Hey, you have enough problems to deal with you don't have to worry about me too." She said sincerely.

"Can I ask you something?" I said hesitantly.

"Sure."

"Do you want to go back?"

"I don't know what I want. I mean… I know what I want, I just… don't know what I want." She dipped her head down.

"What?" I asked confused.

"I mean, I do want to go back but there's something that makes me want to stay away from that place." We sat in silence for a while until we heard a door closing.

"We should get going." I said and closed my locker.

"Paige, how am I going to come out to everybody else?" I asked while walking back to our dorm.

"To be honest I don't know. But we'll find a way, don't worry."

"What happens if my parents come to visit? I can't tell them but I don't think I can keep this a secret."

"Tell me about it." She shook her head and smirked.

* * *

_**Paige's POV**_

"See you in two months. Love you mom, bye." I heard Kris saying as I got in our dorm. I looked at her waiting for her to tell me what happened.

"We got a problem." She said.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"My mom called. She said that they want me to go visit them in Boston in two months, when this semester ends."

"That means that we'll have to figure out what we're going to do in less than two months."

"Wait, there's more. They want to meet you."

"What? They want me to come with you to Boston?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"They said they wanted to meet my new roommate."

"Well, at least you won't be alone on this one."

* * *

_**Emily's POV**_

"Dad, you're back!" I said when I saw a man in uniform standing in front of the open door.

"Hey, Emmy." He said and opened his arms to hug me.

"God, I've missed you so much." I said while hugging him.

"I've missed you too, honey."

"What about me?" I heard a voice saying behind my dad.

"Mom!" I said and run towards her. She hugged me and a second later I heard my dad saying.

"Are you two planning on staying outside forever?" I helped my parents settle down and a few hours later, after dinner, the whole family sat in the living room. I haven't seen my dad for half year and my mom for a week or so but I've missed them both.

"So, Emmy, why are you here alone?" My dad asked looking around.

"Well, Spencer is in London, checking out a university and so does Hanna. And Aria is spending the night with her mom."

"What about Paige?"

"Mom didn't tell you?" I asked confused.

"Tell me what?" He said and turned to look at my mom.

"Paige left." I said coldly.

"Where did she go?"

"To San Francisco."

"To do what?"

"She got a scholarship at Stanford, remember?"

"I know that but wasn't she supposed to leave after graduation."

"Apparently after Mona's death her parents thought that Rosewood isn't a safe place anymore."

"So she just left?"

"She didn't have a choice." At some point I was just trying to convince myself about that.

"Have you talked to her?"

"Not exactly. She sent me an email telling me she needs space and that's what I'm doing, I'm giving her space."

"Are you ok?" He said and sat beside me.

"I'm still holding up." _But I don't know for how much longer._

* * *

I was lying on my bed, looking at the ceiling and listening to music when my mind drifted to Paige. Where is she now? What is she doing? Is she dating anyone? Does she still think about me?

And with Paige on my mind I fell asleep.

* * *

_**Paige's POV**_

_I know it probably shouldn't think about it so much but how is Kris gonna come out. She can't just hold a sign saying "I'm gay" and walk around campus. Why am I over thinking this?_

"Ready?" Kris and I were supposed to go for running in a deserted path that she knew, just a few minutes out of campus.

"Yeah, let's go." I said as I got up.

* * *

Half hour later we were running through the trees, just listening to music from our iPods.

"Hey, have you heard this one?" Kris said while handing me her earphones. I put them on and music filled my ears. I slowed down so I could pay attention to the song. Kris kept running so I was left behind.

"_We're just a falling star, we're just a broken seed. And when an ocean parts, will you wanna sink our dreams? I don't know what we are or what we'll ever be, so listen when you feel your heart skip a beat…" _I couldn't see Kris anymore. It could be because she was running really fast or because of the tears I was trying to hold back.

"_You left me here without a breath or goodbye, you never even tried…"_ It was like listening to Emily accusing me.

"_You're just like drawing scars and leaving hope to bleed. So if we fall apart, will I ever haunt your dreams?" You already do, don't you get it!? I can't get you out of my mind. You're always there, _I thought frustrated.

"_Yeah, you said you felt the same, but now who's to blame, you threw it all away…"_ I couldn't take it anymore and before I realized it I stumbled on a rock and fell. Adrenaline ran through me body and so did the pain. I couldn't move. I felt numb. I called out for Kris but no answer came.

After ten minutes I heard footsteps and saw Kris running towards me.

"What the hell happened?!"

"I stumbled on a rock and hit my leg."

"Let me see." She said and sat on her knees. She gently touched my now bruised leg and then spoke.

"We need to get you to the hospital, it might be serious." She said concerned.

"I don't think that's necessary."

"Well, it's not a bad thing to be cautious. Can you get up?" I tried but I couldn't.

"Ok, uhh, use this tree to stand up and I'll take care of the rest." I used the tree as I was instructed and got up. I could barely stand. Then Kris walked towards me and with a fast movement she lifted me and carried me in her arms just like the husband does to his wife.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, you obviously can't walk and since we didn't take our phones with us I'm carrying you to the hospital." She said like it was an everyday thing.

"You're kidding, right? Put me down."

"I'm not and I won't, so just shut up and enjoy the ride." And since there was nothing I could do I just observed her. Her strong arms, her green emerald eyes, her chin, her cute nose…

_What the hell am I thinking?_

* * *

_**Kris' POV**_

_Don't look at her. Don't look at her. God, what am I doing? Do I really like Paige? When did that happened? Why is it so hard to have her so close to me? I wait, I know. I wonder how her lips taste. Stop! What are you doing?! Are you out of your freaking mind? Stop thinking that kind of stuff when she is so close. And watch out for any rocks on your way to the hospital. If you hit too then you're both doomed. Why am I even talking to myself? Does this means that I'm going crazy? Of course I am. Thanks to that girl in my arms._

* * *

_**P.S the song Paige heard is "Reprobate Romance" by Blacklisted Me**_


	7. Chapter 7

**_I'M BACK! Ok, first of all I want to apologize for the late update but I erased half of the chapter because I didn't like it so I had to rewrite something better. Anyway, I believe that this is the best chapter so far. Thanks for the reviews, favourites and follows. REVIEWS ARE MORE THAN WELCOMED! Enjoy :D_**

**_P.S Don't hate me for the ending but I couldn't resist._**

* * *

_**Paige's POV**_

"It's not as bad as it looks." I heard the doctor saying as he entered the room with my x-rays. "You just sprained your ankle. But you need to be careful."

"What are you saying?" I asked.

"Well, first of all you should rest your ankle and stay in bed for at least week. Second you won't be able to do any sports. You also have to put an ice pack every four hours for two days."

"But…" I was about to protest when Kris interrupted me.

"Will do. Thank you doctor."

"Don't thank me. I was just doing my job. Now, just sign here and you're free to go." He said as he gave me a pen.

"Yeah, ok, we'll wait outside of the hospital. Bye." Kris said as she ended the call. She had phoned Jay to ask him if he could take us back to campus. "He'll be here in forty."

"Ugh, I'm bored." I said

"What do you want to do?" Kris asked.

"I don't know."

"Wanna hear some music?"

"NO!" I answered immediately remembering the last time I heard music.

"Ok, relax, don't hit me." She said hurriedly.

"What happened back there anyway?"

"I just got distracted."

"Oh, I see."

"Can I ask you something?" She said after a while.

"Sure, what is it?"

"I've managed to come out to Jay but how am I gonna come out to the others?"

"I think that our next step is for you to come out to the swim team."

"What if they don't accept it?"

"They accepted me why wouldn't they accept you?"

"I don't know."

"After all you are the captain."

"Right." We sat there in silence just looking the ambulances come and go until Kris' phone started ringing.

"Yeah?"

"Oh, hey Austin, what's up?"

"Yeah everything is great, why?"

"No, we haven't planned on going somewhere. Why are you asking?"

"Yeah, I talked to mum. I'll be there and so will Paige." She said looking at me.

"I'm in the hospital with Paige."

"No, nothing happened to me. Paige just sprained her ankle while running."

"She'll be fine. Yeah, bye."

"What happened?" I asked her when she ended the call.

"Austin wanted to know if we were going to visit my parents." I nodded and after that we had nothing left to talk about. So I observed her from the corner of my eye. Her cute nose, her cheekbones and those eyes. _God, one day those eyes are going to drive me crazy._

* * *

_Knock Knock._

Kris and I looked at the door. I tried to get up but she stopped me.

"Doctor said you need rest." She said and walked to the door.

"Oh my God, Austin!" Kris said once she opened the door, a little louder than I expected.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to surprise you."He said with a smile plastered on his face.

"Well you did."

"Wait, that's not all."

"Ok. What is it?"

"I need your help."

"You need my what?"

"I know I haven't said that in a while but I really need your help." He responded a little bit more serious.

"Ok, come in." She gestured him to get inside.

"You're staying here?" Kris said when she saw the suitcase behind her brother.

"Yeah, for a while. I'll check in a hotel after I leave."

"No, no, no. You are staying here with us."

"Hi. You must be Paige. I'm Austin, Kris' brother. My sister forgets her manners sometimes."

"Yeah, it's nice to meet you." I said and smiled. Only when he got in I could take a look at him. He was tall, slim, with dark hair and those green eyes, similar to Kris'.

"Anyway, you don't have to check in a hotel." Kris continued. "You can stay here. I'll sleep in the couch and you'll sleep in my bed or the other way around."

"Nah, I don't want to become a burden."

"You won't." I said reassuringly. Austin let out a sight. He knew his sister wasn't going to stop.

"Ok, ok, I'll stay here."

"Yes." Kris said and lifted her fist up in the air.

* * *

I sat down with some help from Kris after leaving my crutches next to me. Kris then sat right beside me.

"So, what's up?" I asked as soon as I sat down.

"I'm planning on going on a trip so I won't be around for a while." Jay responded.

"To where?" Kris asked curiously.

"Remember when I told you that my motorcycle broke down last month?" He asked Kris.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well I asked my dad if he knew any mechanics that could fix my bike and he told me he knows one who's the best at what he's doing but he's in New York. So, my dad helped me get in touch with him and then make sure that his friend got the bike."

"Ok… Where is this going?" Kris asked confused.

"Well this guy called yesterday and told me that my bike is ready so tomorrow morning I'll be leaving to New York to pick up my bike."

"And how are you planning on coming back?" I asked.

"I'll ride my bike."

"You'll do what?!" Kris and I both asked.

"Yeah, I always wanted to drive across country." He said excited.

"_Emily and I wanted to drive across country" _I thought.

"So I'll be gone for about a week..." He continued.

* * *

_**Kris' POV**_

When Austin called and told me to meet him at the mall I had no idea what was going to happened.

"Hey. Thanks for meeting me here." He said once he saw me.

"Yeah, well you do live in my place for now. So why did you asked me to meet you here?"

"Because I need your help."

"With what?"

"Ok look. Vivian and I have been together for three years now. So I thought it's time to take our relationship to the next level."

"Which is…?" I asked not sure for what I was about to hear.

"I am here to buy a wedding ring."

"A what?" I asked shocked.

"That's why I need your help. I want it to be perfect." He said smiling at the thought of him and Vivian getting married. Austin met Vivian three years ago in a concert. They made a really weird couple but at the same time they were so perfect together. Vivian teaches guitar to children. She has short dark hair with blue highlights and a couple of tattoos in her arms and the back of her neck. "Will you help me?"

"Yes, of course."

* * *

"So, how've been?" Austin asked as we sat down at one of the cafés.

"Pretty good, I guess." I said.

"May I take your order?" The waitress interrupted us.

"I'll have a latte." Austin said.

"An orange juice for me." I said handing her the menus. We waited for the waitress to bring our orders and then Austin continued.

"What about your love life? Any new boyfriend I should know of?" He asked and took a sip from his coffee.

"No. And I don't think there will be any."

"What do you mean?" He asked me confused.

"Austin there's something you need to know." I started. "I'm gay."

He remained silent progressing what I told him. After a while he looked at me worried.

"When did you realize it?" He asked softly.

"I've known this for two years." I said quietly.

"Are you planning to inform mom and dad about it?"

"Yes."

"This isn't going to end up well." He mumbled. "But I'm here for you and I'll support you."

* * *

_**Paige's POV**_

"_Easy? What planet do you live on? I spend most of my life trying not to feel the way I feel. I come out and they ship my first girlfriend off to God knows where. And now maybe she's done with me. So yeah, it's all about Emily. All Em, all the time."_

"Paige, I'm back." I heard Kris saying, immediately waking up. "Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were sleeping." She said apologetically.

"It's fine. Where's Austin?" I said looking behind Kris.

"Oh, Jay offered to show him around campus." She said as she sat on the couch and turned on the TV.

"_And now let's connect with Adam, who's currently in Rosewood, Pennsylvania, where a murder of a detective took place. Adam?"_ I heard the woman from the news saying. I got up and walked to sit next to Kris on the couch. She looked at me concerned when she realized that something was wrong.

"_Yes Liz. Yesterday detective Gabriel Hol__brook was found dead outside of his apartment. The police believes…" _I never heard the end of it. All I could think of was Emily and A. I got up and grabbed my phone. But, since I forgot to charge it this morning, it was useless.

"Hey Kris, can I use your phone." I asked.

"Yeah, sure." She said and handed me her cell phone. I opened the laptop and after a few minutes of searching I found the number I needed to call. I dialed it and waited for a response.

"Hello?" I heard the girl saying from the other side of the line.

"Hello. Is this Spencer?"

"Yeah, who's asking?"

"Oh, hey Spence, it's Paige."

"Paige?"

"Yeah, I know I haven't communicate with any of you guys but I really need a favor. It's about Em." I added when I felt her hesitation.

"What do you need?"

"I just heard about Holbrook and I was just wondering if you could give me a heads up every once in a while about Emily. You know, if anything bad happens or if she needs help."

"Uh, yeah. I guess I can do that."

"But please, don't tell her that I called you. And that phone call never happened." I added hurriedly.

"Wait. Have you changed your number?"

"No. You can keep calling me to my old one." I said. "Oh, and Spence? Thank you."

"No problem. I'm glad that you didn't forget about Emily."

* * *

_**Jay's POV**_

"Jay, my boy! How've you been?" I heard Thomas saying once I got into the workshop.

"Thomas! I'm good, how are you?" Once I saw the mechanic.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. You came to pick up your bike?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, just wait here till I get it." He said and headed to the back of the shop. "Here you are."

"Wait, that's not my bike." I told him once I saw the guy gesturing me to a red motorcycle.

"It's not? What is your bike again?"

"It's a black Yamaha FZ-09."

"Oh yeah, right. Now I remember." He said and went back, hopefully to bring me the right bike this time.

I was now 20 miles outside of Rosewood riding my bike on my way to California. I wanted to check Paige's hometown so I drove a little bit around. As I turned left I saw a black, sport car parked aside of the road. Nearby was a girl with long dark hair, shorter than me, and her eyes not visible from my point of view. I slowed down when I saw her waving at me and stopped in front of her. I took off my helmet.

"Is everything ok here?" I asked.

"Thank you for stopping." She said. "I got a flat tire and my phone's battery died."

"I can lend you mine. Here." I said and handed my phone to her. She took it and called roadside assistance. In the meantime I observed the girl's features. She had brown eyes and toned lips.

"They'll be here in ten minutes." She said when the call ended. "Thanks again." She said and gave me back my phone. I took it back and I sat down.

"No problem." I said.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm sitting."

"Yeah, I can see that. But why?"

"I'm waiting here with you until the tow truck comes to pick up your car."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know. But I'm not leaving you here all alone."

"Thanks." She said and sat next to me.

"They're here." I said ten minutes later when I saw the tow truck. They loaded the car and after informing us about where they're taking it I turned to face the girl.

"Come on. I'll give you a ride."

"You don't have to do that. You've already done enough."

"Oh, ok. Then how are you planning on reaching your destination when the tow truck left you behind?" I said pointing towards the direction of the vehicle. The girl sighted.

"Are you sure you're ok with that?"

"Yes. Oh, and wear that." I said giving her my helmet.

"What about you?"

"I don't need one." I said and started the engine.

Once the tow truck parked outside a building I slowed down and eventually stopped.

"Thanks for the ride." The girl said.

"You don't have to thank me. It was my pleasure." I said as I followed her inside the building. We sat at the reception and waited.

"What are you doing here anyway?" She asked confused.

"I'm keeping you company." I said casually. "So, where are you going?"

"San Francisco. I'm going to check up Stanford."

"Really? I attend at Stanford."

"That's great."

"I'm Jay, by the way. Jay Sutherland." I said extending my hand towards her.

"I'm Sydney. Sydney Driscoll."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Hey guys! I'm really sorry for the late update but I've been studying for my exams so I couldn't find time to write. So here I am with the new chapter! I hope you'll like it. Also I want to thank you for the Favs and Follows. Make sure you leave a comment after you read the chapter and let me know what you think. Also if you have any suggestions make sure to tell me. Oh and don't hate me. Enjoy!**_

* * *

"It's too bad Austin had to leave earlier." Paige said while sitting on her bed.

"Yeah. I was really looking forward to spend some time with him." Kris said sad. Her brother received a call yesterday and had to leave for Boston due to a job emergency. "And now that Jay is in New York and you are not allowed to do anything we're stuck in here." The girl continued.

"Hey! It wasn't my fault! After all you wanted to go for a run out there."

"Yeah, but you are the one who fell." Paige grabbed her pillow and threw it to Kris. The pillow hit Kris' shoulder and Paige laughed mockingly. Kris stood up grabbing the pillow and walked to where Paige was sitting. Then with a sudden movement from the girl she hit Paige in the head with it. They started a pillow fight, laughing at each other's attempts. After a while Kris found herself lying on the floor with Paige above her hitting her with a pillow. The green eyed girl couldn't stop laughing while the other one was struggling to keep her balance.

"Are you ready to give up?" Paige asked in amusement.

"Never." The other girl said between her laughs. After that Paige carefully sat on top of Kris with one leg on each side of the girl's torso and started tickling her.

"Ok ok. Stop. I give up." The girl said between her laughs trying to catch her breath. And after that they just stood there, staring at each other. Both of them were too busy staring at the other one that none of them heard Kris' phone ringing. A few minutes later Paige realized what they were both doing and decided to break the awkward silence. She cleared her throat and stood up.

"Um, I'm gonna get some water." She said and headed to the kitchen. Kris just stood there following Paige with her gaze until she got into the kitchen.

* * *

"What did the mechanic say?" Jay asked once he saw Sydney enter the waiting room. They've been there for an hour just waiting for an update.

"Well apparently my car has more problems than just a flat tire. He said that something's wrong with the engine too." She responded.

"Can he fix it?"

"Yes but he said that it's going to take a while."

"Can you be more specific?"

"He said the car will be ready by the end of the week."

"Then why do you look so sad?" He said noticing her mood changing.

"Well, I had arrange this tour around campus and I'm not gonna make it." She explained.

"When is it?"

"In three days."

"I can give you a ride if you want."

"You don't have to."

"No really it's not a big deal. I'm going to Stanford anyway." He insisted.

"Are you sure?" She said hesitantly.

"Yes." He said reassuringly. "Oh, wait. Have you brought many suitcases with you?" He said a hint of concern evident in his voice.

"No just a backpack. I won't be staying long." She said.

"Ok. You should inform the mechanic that we're leaving and arrange when you're going to pick up the car." Jay suggested.

"Yeah, ok. Meet you outside?" Sydney asked as she headed for the door.

"I'll be waiting." He said smiling.

* * *

Paige and Kris were sitting silently in the couch staring at the dark TV screen. Since that awkward moment after the pillow fight things were… awkward between them. None of them really knew what to say.

"Wanna watch a movie?" Kris said as she turned to look at Paige breaking the silence.

"Sure." With that Kris stood up and walked over her desk. She opened the last drawer and took out some CDs.

"Ok so, we have _The Great Gatsby, Friends With Benefits, Grown Ups, Scream, Despicable Me…"_

"_Despicable Me_?" Paige said ready to burst into laughter.

"What?" Kris asked offended "I have to keep my inner child alive." She said smiling. Paige shook her head in amusement.

"Anyway we also have _Pirates Of Caribbean _and _Rudy."_

"Wait what? Did you just say Rudy?"

"Yeah, why?" Kris asked curious.

"Can we watch _Rudy_?" Paige asked quietly.

"Sure." Normally Paige would avoid that movie. She had already watched it at least a dozen times since it was Emily's favorite but right now she wanted to feel closer to her. They watched the movie in silence, Kris glancing once in a while at Paige. By the time the movie ended Kris had fallen asleep in Paige's shoulder and Paige was about to cry. But not because of the movie. She missed Emily.

* * *

"Did we sleep here?" Asked Kris once she realized where she was. Paige slowly opened her eyes realized that she had fallen asleep too since she didn't want to wake her roommate last night.

"Yeah I guess so."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Kris asked lifting her head from the couch.

"Well you were already sleeping by the time the movie ended and I didn't want to wake you up." It was in that moment that Kris realized Paige wasn't only beautiful on the outside.

* * *

"Caleb, did you book the tickets yet?" Hanna asked from the kitchen.

"Just did. We'll be leaving next week." He said smiling. "Have you told Emily that we're going?" He asked more serious this time.

"Not yet. I don't know how she's going to react."

"You'll have to tell her at some point though."

"I know."

* * *

"So are we going?" Kris asked unable to contain her excitement.

"I'm not so sure if that's a good idea." Paige said hesitantly.

"Oh come on! Just because you're younger than everybody else doesn't mean that they you're not welcomed there. It's the swim team that holds the party after all and you are part of it." Said Kris more determined this time.

"Ok ok, we'll go, alright?"

"Yes!" Kris said throwing her fist in the air victoriously.

By the time the two girls arrived at 10 o' clock the party was on full swing. When they got there a group of girls from the swim team welcomed them and showed them where the drinks were. After a cup of vodka soda, Paige found herself sitting alone in one the couches thinking about how lonely she was. She felt her phone vibrate at reached at her back pocket to get it. It was a message from one of her old teammates, Sam.

-_The team isn't the same without you _

Sometimes Paige was sure that Sam had a crush on her. She typed a quick reply and put her phone back to her pocket. Suddenly she missed home. She had already finished the second cup of vodka soda and was holding the third. She grabbed her phone again and dialed the number of the girl that was haunting her mind.

But that girl never answered the call. Paige was disappointed but she decided to try again later. She stood up and started walking around searching for her roommate. She found Kris talking to one of their teammates with a cup in her hand. When she saw Paige making her way towards her she excused herself and reached Paige.

"Hey where have you been?" Kris asked.

"Just sitting."

"Really Paige? You came to a party to sit?"

"Well I don't exactly know anybody here except from you."

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone."

"It's ok."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Ok how about this. Finish your drink and come to meet me at the dance floor ok?"

"Ok." And with that Kris headed to the dance floor disappearing into the crowd. Paige decided she should try calling Emily one last time. She dialed the girl's number but again, no answer. Paige's mind started working overdrive as to why Emily didn't answer her phone. But in the end she just got mad at her. She finished her third cup and after grabbing another one she sat down again. Suddenly the music died down and was replaced by the voice of the DJ.

"WHAT'S UP PEOPLE?! So I'm gonna change the rhythm a little bit. So for the next song I want to see all of you jump. Got it?" The crowd cheered and waited for the song to start.

"_**One song about a girl**_

_**I can't breathe when I'm around her**_

_**I'll wait here everyday**_

_**In case she'll scratch the surface**_

_**She'll never notice…"**_

Everybody was jumping up and down dancing and Paige just stood there all alone looking at them.

"_**I'm not in love**_

_**This is not my heart**_

_**I'm not gonna waste these words**_

_**About a girl…"**_

"_Well you my friend are lucky." _Paige thought to herself.

"_**Last night, I knew what to say**_

_**But you weren't there to hear it**_

_**These lines, so well rehearsed**_

_**Tongue tied and over-loaded**_

_**You'll never notice…"**_

"_My mom knows you're out here?" Emily asked as she walked to her porch._

"_She said I could wait inside. I told her I was ok here. Your mom knows we're fighting." Paige said and then stood up._

"_We're not fighting, we're done fighting."_

"_Which makes us what?"_

"_We… go to the same school, we used to be teammates… maybe we'll be friends."_

"_I practiced what I'm gonna say to you, did you know that? I talked to myself the whole way over here. I'm pretty convincing. And then I get to this porch and I forget everything. All I can say is… I love you. Like if I say it just right it will fix things, somehow you'll hear it differently this time and… everything will be alright."_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_That didn't sound very good." Paige said lowering her head. "I better go." She said and started walking away._

"_Paige." Emily said after turning around. "You deserve the best of everything."_

"_That's what I had." Paige's voice sounded so broken, so fragile._

When Paige woke up from her day dreaming the song was over and had been replaced by a really upbeat one. She finished her fourth cup and walked to the dance floor where she found Kris dancing. She felt pretty dizzy by now but she didn't really care. She smiled and walked over to where Kris was. Kris took her hands and placed them on her hips. They both started moving in a matching rhythm and before she realized it she was behind her roommate. Her hands were resting on the other girl's hips as they were pushed together, Kris' back and ass rubbing against Paige's front. She was getting hot but she liked being that close to the other girl. After a while Paige turned Kris around and they were now facing each other but still pushed really close. Kris looked Paige straight in the eyes lustful before bending her knees and then getting up again, repeating this for some time till the song change. Paige could tell that Kris was a little bit tipsy from the drinks she had. But she had done nothing to stop what had just happened.

The rest of the party had gone fairly well. The two roommates had arrived back on their dorm around 5, both of them stumbling and laughing. And once Kris stumbled and fell on the couch she didn't get up. She fell asleep there. Paige on the other hand seeing Kris fall to the couch started laughing and before she realized it she landed on her roommate's bed.

* * *

"So I was wondering, is there any chance you would like to go out with me when we get to Stanford?" Jay asked as he opened the hotel's room door, holding two cups of coffee and a small brown paper bag.

"Uh sure. Why not?" She asked smiling. "I really don't know anyone there." She continued.

"I could introduce you to some of my friends if you want to. We could go on a double date."

"Are you sure they'll be ok with me being there?"

"Yeah. They are not that older after all. One of them hasn't even finished high school yet."

"If you say so."

"Cool. I'll give them a call." He said with a big smile plastered on his face.

"Hey Kris! What's up?" He asked a little too excited when his friend answered.

"Ugh, lower your voice I'm having a hangover."

"Oh, ok. Anyway I was wondering if we could go out on a double date tomorrow after I get back."

"Who?"

"Me and Sydney with you and Paige."

"Ok first of all you do realize that Paige and I are not together, right? And second who is Sydney?"

"It's this girl I met on my way back. But please, she's coming to Stanford for a tour and I promised her that I'll introduce her to some of my friends so please just convince Paige and book a table at one of the restaurants outside of campus. Please?"

"Ok, I'll see what I can do." And with that the call ended.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Guess who's back. ME. And I am bringing with me the next chapter! YAY! Anyway thank you for the follows/faves/reviews and thank you for sticking with me. Again don't forget to leave a comment once you've read the chapter. Love you all. Enjoy!_**

* * *

After Kris ended the call she turned to look at Paige who was still sleeping in her bed. It was 10 o' clock already but she couldn't wake her up. She seemed so peaceful. She decided to take a shower instead until her roommate was awake and then they would talk about the double date.

While taking off her clothes moments from last night flashed into Kris' mind. She remembered the party, the dance and the drive home with Paige. How could she talk to Paige about double dates after what happened last night?

In the other room Paige slowly opened her eyes immediately realizing that this wasn't her bed. She sat up in the bed and looked around trying to focus on the things around her. She saw an empty couch and then remembered that that's where Kris was supposed to be. Her mind drifted to what happened last night trying to remember how she got to her roommates bed.

She heard water running from inside the bathroom and decided that it was safe for her to get up. She wished she could avoid Kris but she knew that this wasn't possible. She got up and headed to the kitchen where she grabbed a bowl and placed it on the table. Then she opened the fridge taking out a carton of milk and then grabbed a cereal box.

As she sat down Paige heard her phone ringing and answered the call.

"Hey dad. What's up?"

"Hey kiddo. I was wondering if you could meet me and your mom at the mall this afternoon."

"Uhhh… Yeah sure. Is everything ok?"

"Yes. We just need to talk."

"Ok. What time should I be there?"

"Around 7 would be great."

"Good. See you there dad."

By the time she finished her cereal the bathroom door opened and Kris came out with a towel wrapped around her hair and another one covering her body.

"You're awake!" Kris said surprised.

"Yeah." Paige said awkwardly. After that silence filled the room. The two roommates just stood there staring at each other without really knowing what to say.

"Jay called." Kris said after a while. "He'll be back tomorrow."

"Good."

"He… needs a favor." Kris said hesitantly. Paige looked at her with a questioning look.

"He met someone and he wants to take her out on a date when he gets back."

"Ok."

"The problem is he said it would be a double date." Paige's eyes widened with that.

"What are you saying?" The auburn haired girl asked not sure whether she wanted to hear the answer.

"Jay wants us to be the other couple." Kris said with one breath closing her eyes shut.

"What?!" Paige asked as she stood up abruptly.

"I know. I told him that we're not a couple and he said that he just wants to introduce some of his friends to the girl because she's probably coming to Stanford next year and she doesn't know anybody. Apparently he thought that this would be a good idea." Paige remained silent.

"Look, I don't want this to happen too" Kris lied "but he never said that we have to act like a couple." She added with a smirk.

Paige wasn't sure what to say. A part of her wanted to go on that date but there was another part that was telling her not to and was constantly reminding her of Emily. But those last words Kris said made her rethink the offer.

"Ok."

"Ok?" Kris asked not sure if what she heard was actually said.

"Yeah. For Jay, right?"

"Right." Kris lied again. She was hoping that things between her and Paige would be different after what happened. She was now sure that she had feelings for the girl but was still afraid to make a move.

* * *

"So why are we here Han?" Spencer asked as they sat down at the Brew's couch.

"Caleb's mom moved into a new city and she invited us over." Hanna said avoiding naming the city Caleb's mom moved on purpose.

"Which is where?" Aria asked.

"San Francisco." And after that everybody's mind drifted to Emily. And Emily didn't know how to react. To be honest she wanted to go with them to San Francisco but she couldn't do that. She didn't want to ruin Hanna's first trip with Caleb. So she just forced a smile.

"Are you ok with this Em?" Hanna asked.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" The girls were now looking at her with worried expressions in their faces. "Really Han, I'm fine." She tried to reassure her friend.

The other girls decided not to push the subject any further.

"When is your flight?" Aria asked.

"On Friday. We'll stay there till Monday." The girl responded.

* * *

When Paige parked her car in the mall's parking lot she had no idea what was about to happen. Her whole life was going to change.

She walked to the building's main entrance and texted her dad her location.

A few minutes later Paige saw her parents walking towards her.

"Hey honey." Her mom said once she was close to her daughter.

"Hey mom. Hey dad." She said greeting them.

"Hey Paige. Come on, let's get some coffee." Her dad said and gestured towards one of the coffee shops.

Once they sat down both of her parents became more serious.

"What's wrong?" Paige asked after seeing the change into her parents' mood.

"Paige there's something we need to tell you." She heard her dad saying.

"Ok. What is it?" She asked worried.

Her mom sighted before talking. "Paige, your dad and I are taking divorce."

"You're taking what?!" She said almost chocking with her coffee. "Why? What happened? What's wrong?" She asked as she felt panic taking over her.

"This isn't working anymore." Her dad said pointing between him and her mother.

"What changed?" The girl demanded to know.

"Many things. For starters we moved across country. It's not easy to adjust." Her dad tried to explain.

"This is bullshit. If you didn't want to move here then we could have stayed back at Rosewood." Paige was now angry. She stood up abruptly and started to walk away. How could they say that it wasn't easy for them to adjust while she was the one that had actually left something behind?

She jogged the rest of her way to the parking lot starting her car and driving back to Stanford.

* * *

Once she got into her room Paige place her keys to the coffee table and fell on her bed. Kris got up from the couch and walked over to the other girl's bed. She saw Paige shaking and she realized that the girl was crying. She carefully sat next to her and placed her hand on her roommate's back in an attempt to help her calm down. Ten minutes later Paige had calmed down a bit and Kris thought it was safe to ask what happened.

"Want to talk about it?" She asked gently.

The other girl sighted and sat on her bed supporting her back on the wall. "My parents are getting divorce." She said after a moment of silence.

Kris definitely didn't see that coming. She just rubbed the small of her friend's back. She didn't know what else to do. "Do you want me to call Jay and cancel the date?" She asked once she remembered about tomorrow night.

"No I'll be fine." Paige said.

* * *

After making sure Sydney was in her hotel room Jay drove immediately towards Stanford and got in his room. Once he was done with his shower it was time to pick his outfit. And he had no idea what to wear. He didn't want to look overdressed but he didn't want Sydney to think that he didn't put any effort to his outfit. He opened his closet and took out a few pair of jeans. Then he took out a few shirts and left them on his bed. He decided to wear a pair of blue jeans and a dark blue u-neck shirt with a jean jacket.

He closed the door behind him and headed for the girls' room. He knocked the door and heard footsteps behind the door. The door opened revealing Paige. She was wearing a white shirt and black jeans. Her makeup was simple. She had put on what Jay assumed it was mascara and some lip gloss. Behind Paige he could see Kris wearing grey shirt, dark blue jean, lip gloss and mascara.

"Ready to go?" He asked a little bit nervous.

"Yeah just let me grab my jacket." Said Paige and grabbed a brown leather jacket that was hanging behind the door. Kris followed her action grabbing a dark blue jacket and locking the door behind her. The girls got in Paige's car while Jay got into his own. Jay started driving to the direction of Sydney's hotel while the girls towards the restaurant's.

He parked his Hyundai in the front entrance of the hotel where Sydney was waiting. She looked beautiful. She was wearing black sleeveless top and black jeans with a brown belt. She walked towards the car and Jay got out and opened the door for Sydney to get in. She shot him a smile and got in. He then rushed and got in too. He started the engine and drove to the restaurant.

* * *

Meanwhile in the restaurant Kris and Paige were already sitting in their table waiting for the others to arrive. The only sound was the light music coming out of the speakers since none of them knew what to say to the other.

"How do you think she looks like?" Kris asked trying to break the ice that wasn't supposed to exist between them.

"I don't know. Maybe blonde with blue eyes?" Paige took a guess.

"Yeah, that's what I expect to see too." Kris responded. And the ice was there again. "Look, Paige, we need to talk about what happened at the party."

"There isn't much to talk about."

"You're kidding, right? How can you say that? We." Kris hesitated. "We dirty danced." The girl said lowering her voice.

"I was tipsy you were tipsy… things like that happened." Paige tried to avoid the feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was lying. Part of her wanted that to happen. But she couldn't admit it. Kris looked at her hurt. She tried to hide that what had Paige said had affected her. Before they realized it Jay was walking towards them with a girl in toe. Kris turned and looked at them immediately standing up to introduce herself to the girl. Paige saw where Kris was looking and turned to look at the couple but the color went missing from her face once she saw who the girl was. And Sydney's reaction was pretty much the same. She froze and Jay sensed that Sydney had stopped walking. Kris noticed the change into her roommate's behavior and looked at her with a questioning look on her face. Paige slowly stood up trying to compose herself and Sydney started moving again. Jay was the first to speak.

"Sydney, this is Kris" He said gesturing towards the green eyed girl. They shook hands and smiled at each other "and this is Paige." He continued.

"Yeah. I know." She said trying to get over the shock.

"You do?" Kris and Jay said at the same time.

"Yes. We went school together for a while." Paige answered. They all sat down processing what was happening.

"So, you guys were friends?" Jay asked.

"We swam for the same team and we hang out a little bit, that's all." Paige explained looking at Sydney. After that a waiter came and took their orders.

"Are you planning on coming here for college?" Kris asked in an attempt to start a conversation.

"Yes. I really like California and this is a really good college."

"It is." Kris agreed.

"How did you guys met?" Paige asked.

"I had a flat tire in the middle of nowhere and Jay kinda found me there." The girl said looking at Jay and smiling. He smiled back.

"Are you from Rosewood?" Kris asked.

"No. I was born and grew up in Harrisburg. We moved to Rosewood this year." Kris nodded.

"So how things have been in Rosewood?" Paige asked trying to get information about Emily.

"You're asking in general or about a particular person?" It was like Sydney read her mind.

Paige sighted. "How's Emily?"

"She's fine. She was sad when you left but now she's doing better."

"Has she… Has she found someone else?" Paige wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer to that but she felt like she had to ask.

"I'm not sure." Paige looked at her with a questioning look.

"I saw her one night outside of school fighting with someone. Her name is Talia. She worked with Emily at The Brew. Emily was saying something about Talia using her as an experiment. She seemed pretty angry. A few days later Talia left town and there was a rumor that Emily was seeing Talia for a while before she left. But I don't know for sure." Sydney said with an apologetic look on her face. Paige's eyes were filled with tears she was trying to hold back. Kris placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and Paige stood up.

"I'm sorry but I have to go. I hope I didn't ruin your night. Enjoy your dinner." She said her voice cracking. After that she walked away. Kris watched Paige walk away and then turned to look at Jay.

"I need to go after her. Sydney it was a pleasure meeting you." She said as she grabbed her jacket and started walking to the exit. Once outside she spotted a cab and got in telling the driver to go to Stanford University.

* * *

When she reached her destination she paid the driver and got out of the car and run to her room. But Paige wasn't there. She decided to try the natatorium next. But Paige was nowhere to be found. Kris was getting worried. She then tried the cafeteria but Paige wasn't there either. She tried the library, the clubs in the campus, the locker room but still no sign of the girl. Half an hour later she headed for the gym. It was the only place she could think of.

She slowly opened the door and got in without making any noise. She had found Paige. She could hear Paige hitting a punching bag.

"God Paige, you scared me. I looked everywhere for you." Paige remained silent. She kept punching that poor bag.

"How are you?" Kris asked worried.

"Honestly? I am furious! I've spent almost every single night thinking about her and all this time she's been hooking up with one of her co-workers." Paige said as her punches became stronger. Kris could tell that she was hurt. She couldn't blame her. She really loved Emily.

"Hey, calm down. Try to relax." Kris said in an attempt to help Paige calm down.

"I CAN'T, OK? I CAN'T!" Paige said raising her voice. She was breaking down but she continued. "I mean, does she even think about me?" She asked helplessly.

"Don't say that. You don't know what's going on in her life right now." Kris said trying to defend Emily.

"Oh, I think I do. I've been through it myself. But I never cheated on her." The girl said. She had now stopped hitting the punching bag and was sitting down on the floor. She was trying really hard to hide the tears that were falling from her eyes.

"Hey, don't cry. Everything is going to be alright."

"How? I've got nothing left! My parents are getting divorce, Emily has clearly moved on…"

"You have me" Kris cut her off.

Paige felt her brain shut down as she slowly leaned forward. Kris felt her pulse getting quicker as she leaned to capture Paige's lips into her own. The kiss was slow but sweet. Kris felt her heart pounding like a drum inside her chest when she felt Paige's lips move against her own. The green eyed girl felt Paige's tongue lick her lower lip asking for permission and she gave it. Their tongues started dancing together slowly at first but then a little faster.

By the time the kiss ended they were both breathless. Paige rested her forehead to Kris' shoulder and let a tear roll on her cheek.

"Thank you." The auburn girl whispered.

* * *

Back in the restaurant Jay had to deal with the awkward situation that was created after the girls left.

"Oh God, what have I done?" Sydney asked helplessly.

"Hey, this wasn't your fault. She asked to know the truth and that's what you told her. You couldn't have known how she was going to react." Jay said reassuringly.

The waiter came back with the food but he noticed that the girls weren't there.

"Are your friends coming back?" He asked still holding the tray of food they had previously ordered.

"I don't think so. Could we get their food to go?" Jay asked.

"Yeah sure. You're still eating here right?"

"Yes. We are." The rest of the night went fairly well for them. They enjoyed their dinner and two hours later they got into Jay's car and drove back to the hotel. Once they reached their destination Jay offered to walk Sydney to her room.

"I had a great time tonight." Sydney said when they reached her room.

"Me too." He said looking deeply into her eyes. He slowly leaned closer and kissed her hesitantly. She moved her lips against his and opened her mouth when she felt Jay's tongue asking for permission. Their tongues dueled fighting for the upper hand.

"Goodnight Jay." Sydney said with a smile when the kiss ended.

"Goodnight Syd." Jay said smiling and started to walk away.

* * *

"Are you planning on going somewhere?" Caleb's mom asked as soon as she saw the couple getting ready. It was Sunday morning and Hanna and Caleb decided to visit Stanford and maybe meet Paige, without Paige's knowledge of course.

"Yeah. We're going to spend the day in Stanford. We'll probably be back for dinner." Caleb responded.

After a long drive from San Francisco to Stanford the couple decided to eat lunch at the mall and do some shopping after.

* * *

The same morning Paige woke up in a really good mood so she decided to take Kris out for lunch and some ice cream at the mall. Kris loved it there.

"So, I was thinking we should do something special today." Paige started.

"Why? What's so different about today?" Kris asked curious.

"Nothing. I just wanted to thank you for making me happy again." Paige said as she pulled Kris closer to her and kissed her softly.

"In that case…" Kris said with a smile plastered on her face. Within a week she had found the courage to come out to the swim team, to her friends and be able to be herself outside of her room and all thanks to Paige.

* * *

Hanna and Caleb sat on a table with a view to the ground floor. After the waitress came back with their order they started eating while talking about colleges and Caleb's mom. After some time Hanna had halfway eaten her pasta while Caleb had almost finished his steak. The girl glanced at the ground floor and saw two girls laughing. At first she didn't paid too much attention but once a familiar laughter reached her ears she looked at them this time more carefully. She recognized Paige as one of the girls.

"Caleb is that Paige down there?" She asked pointing towards the direction of an auburn haired girl. Caleb followed his girlfriend's index finger with his gaze and saw Paige holding a cup of ice cream laughing with something the other girl said.

"Yes she is." Hanna was about to call Paige's name when she saw her leaning and kissing the other girl. She froze into her place. She turned to look at Caleb who seemed to have the same reaction.

"Did you see what I just saw?" Hanna asked as if she didn't already know the answer.


	10. Chapter 10

**_"Hey guys." I said nervously to the readers of this fanfic. "I know it's been 1 month and 14 days since my last update and I wanted to say I'm sorry and that it probably won't happen again." _**

**_Anyway thanks for the reviews/favs/follows! Btw this is the biggest chapter yet and the next chapter will be update most likely a week from now. Till then... Enjoy!_**

* * *

"Did you just see what I just saw?"

"Yes I did Hanna, I'm not blind."

"What are we gonna do?" Hanna started to panic inside. She knew about Emily and Talia but she didn't expect Paige to move on from her friend. She couldn't blame her and deep inside she knew that this was going to happen sooner or later but she wasn't ready for it. "Should we tell Emily about this?"

"I don't know Hanna. She's your best friend not mine." To be honest Caleb was happy that he didn't have to make that decision. Paige was his friend but so was Emily. The girl deserved to know the truth but he didn't know how she was going to react. With all the A drama back in Rosewood, with her college applications and with Paige's departure she became a mess.

"Are you done eating?" Hanna asked impatiently. She wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Yes."

"Ok let's go." She said and stood up.

"Go were? Didn't you wanna go shopping?" He asked recalling their plan.

"I did before I saw them." She said and walked to the exit.

"So what? Where are we going now?" Caleb asks surprised by the girl's reaction.

"Back to your mom's."

* * *

"I wish you could stay." Jay said sad. He wasn't ready to let Sydney go. They had a great time together and he wasn't sure if he was going to see her again since she might not attend Stanford next year.

"I do too but we both know that I can't."

"So what's gonna happen to us?"

"I honestly don't know Jay. I mean I really like you but can we work through long distance relationship?"

"I don't know if we can but I want to try." Jay was determined to make this work. This situation reminded him of Paige and her girlfriend. Well, ex-girlfriend if you consider that Paige is now dating Kris. Paige didn't seem like she tried to make it work with Emily although it seemed like she really loved her. But then again he didn't know the whole story.

* * *

"We should do this more often." Paige said as she and Kris entered their dorm room. They had just gotten back from the mall and were both exhausted after walking around the shops all day.

"Wanna watch a movie?" Kris said and sat on the couch.

"Sure. What do you want to watch?" Paige sat next to Kris and grabbed the remote control from her girlfriend's hands.

"How about a thriller?" Kris said with a smile forming in her lips.

"Again?!"

"You know I love them." The girl pleaded.

"Ok. But I get to choose which one we'll watch."

"Fine." Paige smiled at that and gave Kris a quick peck on the lips.

"We're watching… 'Nightmare On Elm Street'." The auburn haired girl said after a while.

"What?! That's older than I am!" Kris protested.

"So what? That doesn't mean it's not good."

"Yeah but it won't be scary."

"That's the whole point of me picking a thriller." Paige smiled and made herself comfortable on the couch.

* * *

It's been a day since Hanna saw Paige at the mall and she couldn't wait to get to Rosewood. She still wasn't sure if she was going to tell Emily about Paige and the mystery girl but she needed to tell someone that could understand her cause obviously Caleb couldn't. While on the plane Hanna couldn't stop thinking about it. What made this girl so special that made Paige give up on Emily? Why would she ever give up on Emily? She knew that Emily had dated Talia for a while but Paige couldn't have known that, right? So the girl kept thinking, making up theories as to why would Paige do that and questioning till she fell asleep next to her boyfriend. The realization that someone that really loves you can walk away from you hit Hanna hard.

* * *

Several hours later, back in Rosewood, Emily is getting ready to meet Hanna and the girls for dinner. She was a bit nervous about today's dinner. Hanna was back and she might have visit Stanford. She might have seen Paige. As she unwrapped the towel from around her body and opened her closet something silver caught her attention. It was her old Halloween costume. The one she wore on the train and the one Paige couldn't stop staring her in.

_Emily got out of the shower in hurry. She had only one hour to get ready for the party and Paige would come to pick her up in forty five minutes. The girl opened her bedroom door and got in unwrapping the towel from around her body. She threw the towel next to her costume. She got dressed, put on some makeup, dried her hair and looked at the mirror. Satisfied with her appearance she opened her bedroom door, got out and walked to the living room where her mom was watching TV. Sensing the new presence in the room Pam turned and saw her daughter looking at her expectantly. She looked stunning._

"_Wow honey, you look stunning." The woman said._

"_You like it?"_

"_Of course I do. And Paige's gonna love it." Pam said smiling. Emily didn't have a chance to respond as the doorbell rang._

"_Speak of the devil." Emily heard her mom saying. The girl stood behind the door and prepared herself for what she was about to see. Paige refused to tell her what her costume would be and Emily couldn't stop thinking about it all week. She slowly reached for the doorknob and opened the door. Behind that door was Paige looking hot as hell in her tux and Emily was ready to pull Paige into a passionate kiss when her mom appeared from behind and ruined the opportunity._

"_Wow Paige look at you." Pam said proudly as if Paige was her own daughter._

"_Thank you Miss Fields." Paige said with a wide smile across her face._

"_Paige how many times do I have to tell you? Stop calling me 'Miss Fields'. You make me feel old."_

"_Sorry Miss... Pam." Paige corrected herself. Emily still stood next to the door looking at Paige amazed by how stunning her girlfriend is looking tonight._

"_Em are you ok?" Paige asked worried when she noticed that her girlfriend seemed paralyzed. Emily snapped out of her daydreaming and smiled to her girlfriend._

"_Yes. I'm fine." Emily said reassuringly. "Ready to go?" She added before her girlfriend had the chance to doubt what she said._

"_Yeah, let's go." Paige said offering her hand for Emily to take. The girls bid their goodbyes to the woman that was still standing next to the door and walked to Paige's car. Once they reached the car the auburn haired girl rushed to open the door for her girlfriend. Emily smiled at how sweet the other girl was. After getting inside she waited for Paige to reach the other side of the car and opened the door for herself and got in. By the time the girl got inside Emily grabbed her and kissed passionately until they both run out of air._

"_What was that for?" Paige asked confused, with a huge smile plastered on her face._

"_Do you have any idea how hard it was for me not to kiss you the moment I opened the door and saw you wearing this?" Emily asked fixing her hair since Paige couldn't keep her hands for herself. Paige blushed hearing those words coming out of the girl's mouth._

"_So that's why you froze back there?"The girl asked in amusement._

"_Busted." Emily said blushing. But she didn't have a chance to continue what she said. Before she realized it Paige gently cupped her face in her hands and connected their lips into a sweet but hungry kiss. It didn't take Emily long to respond moving her lips against Paige's ready to rip the girl's tux off. Paige licked the raven haired girl's lips begging for permission and the girl happily gave it as she opened her mouth. Their tongues met each other eagerly and after a while they started dancing in their own unique rhythm. Emily hadn't kissed anyone like that and neither did Paige. And that wasn't going to change. They wouldn't let it happen._

* * *

By the time Hanna parked her car outside of the restaurant she was already ten minutes late. She had decided to tell Emily and the girls about what she saw at the mall. That's why she stood in her car without moving. She was staling. She knew that. Ten more minutes later she decided that it was now or never so she got out of the vehicle and made her way to the restaurant opening the door. She immediately spotted the three girls sitting in a table in the middle of the room talking to each other. She hesitantly walked to where the table was and was welcomed by the girls who stood up to hug their best friend. The four girls sat down and Hanna made sure to sit next to Aria and opposite to Spencer so she wouldn't have to see the look on Emily's face once she told them about what she saw.

"So, Hanna, how was your trip to San Francisco?" Aria asked as she took a sip of her drink.

"Uh... It was good. Yeah it was pretty good. Caleb's mom was really happy to see us and her new house is amazing." Hanna answered trying not to give any important information away.

"What did you guys do while you were there?" Spencer required to know.

"Lots of stuff. Uh... Caleb's mom gave us a small tour around San Francisco, we went shopping and... Dinners. We had a lot of dinners." The answered awkwardly. She knew her answer was suspicious and she knew that the girls would notice that something was wrong. And they did.

"Hanna is everything ok?" Emily asked creasing her eyebrows.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because you're acting weird." Spencer stated.

"Hanna did something happened while you were there? Did A send you another threat?" Aria asked worried about her friend's weird behavior.

"No A didn't do anything." Hanna said quietly.

"_Here goes nothing"_ The blonde thought to herself.

"Paige did." She added closing her eyes.

"What do you mean? Is everything ok? Is Paige ok?" Emily immediately asked worried while the other two girls were looking at her waiting for an explanation.

"Yeah, Paige is fine." Hanna said unable to meet her friends' eyes.

"Hanna?" Spencer asked this time expectantly. The girl released the breath she was holding and lifted her head just enough to meet Spencer's gaze.

"Yesterday morning Caleb and I decided to visit Stanford. We were planning on eating lunch at the mall and then doing some shopping there." Hanna started nervously deciding to start from the beginning. "Once we reached the mall we got inside and after wandering around we sat at one of the restaurants with view to the ground floor. We ordered our food and started to eat when the waitress came with the orders."

"Hanna we don't care what you ordered." Spencer said realizing that her friend was stalling.

"Ok, ok. So after a while I heard someone laugh from the ground floor so I looked and saw two girls laughing. I didn't pay attention at first but then I recognized the laughter. I looked at the girls again and realized that Paige was one of them." Emily felt her hand turn to a fist that tightened with every word that came out of Hanna's mouth. She had a bad feeling about this.

"I was about to call Paige's name when..." The girl couldn't bring to finish that sentence. But then she saw Emily's eyes and knew that she had to do this. The girl deserved to know. "When Paige leaned and kissed the other girl." Hanna finished the sentence.

Emily felt a wave of nausea and immediately stood up and rushed to the restroom. The rest of the girls followed her and got in the room just in time to see Emily spit her guts out in one of the stalls. They waited until their friend felt better and decided it was better to head home. Spencer offered to give Emily a ride and the girl accepted thinking it was for the best.

* * *

Once Emily entered her house she headed straight to her bedroom. She placed her jacket on her bed and sat on the window seat. Couple weeks after Paige left to San Francisco Emily was still worried about Paige. She was afraid that A would go after her girlfriend just to make her even more miserable. So she came up with a plan. For A to go after Paige would mean that Paige still cared about her. That's why when Talia revealed her feelings she decided to "use" their relationship as bate. If A did keep an eye on Paige he would make sure that the girl knew about this. Paige would get angry and she would move on from her. She would start a real life there, in Stanford, with a girlfriend and a real future. But even if Emily was the one that wanted this to happen it still hurt like hell.

* * *

After Spencer dropped Emily at the latter's house she quickly made her way to her home and parked the car outside. She started walking to her house and reached for her phone in her back pocket of her jeans. She got her phone out and dialed Paige's number. A few seconds later she heard the girl's voice at the other end of the line.

"Hey Spence, is everything ok?" Paige asked the worry evident in her voice. Even now that she was dating Kris she was still getting worried when it came to the raven haired beauty. She still cared.

"No it's not ok." She replied angrily. "How could you do this to Emily?"

"What are you talking about?" The girl asked confused. "Is Emily ok?"

"No she's not. Last time I saw her she was trying to recover after spitting her guts out because she heard that you kissed another girl."

"She did what?!" The girl was trying to process what she heard. On one hand she was confused as to how Emily knew about her and Kris and on the other hand she was worried about the girl's health.

"You heard me." Spencer replied angrily.

"How did she found out?" Paige asked quietly.

"Hanna saw you kiss another girl on her trip to Stanford." The girl answered simply trying to contain her anger.

"Is Emily ok now?"

"She's struggling. Why would you do that Paige?" Spencer asked after a moment of silence. But this was the wrong thing to ask.

"Excuse me?" Paige asked getting angry. She felt like the other girl was accusing her for what she'd done.

"I thought you loved Emily." Spencer continued.

"Yeah, well I thought Emily loved me. But apparently she doesn't."

"What are you talking about?" The brunette asked confused.

"I'm talking about Emily dating Talia." Paige said unable to hide her hurt out of her voice.

"What?" The girl uttered. She didn't know that Paige knew about Talia. She was caught off guard. And that didn't happen very often.

"You heard me." It was time for Paige to defend herself. She had made her choice and no one would make her feel guilty about it.

"How do you know about that?" Spencer was obviously still in shock.

"A friend from Rosewood paid me a visit. I asked about Emily and that's what I got."

"And you believed them?" Spencer asked trying to make it sound like this wasn't true.

"Why? You're gonna tell me that this isn't true?" Paige shot back waiting for the other girl's answer. But Spencer remained silent. She knew that she couldn't convince the girl otherwise. "That's what I thought." Paige said quietly.

"And what about the girl you kissed at the mall. Who is she?" The girl decided to change the subject. She needed more information.

"She's someone I met in Stanford. She's from the swim team." Paige didn't want the other girl to know that the person they were talking about was her roommate. Spencer was capable for a lot of things and she knew that if she had something to start with she would come up with something. And Paige gave her something. "Anyway I gotta go. Is there anything else you want to ask me?"

"Do you still love Emily?"

Paige remained silent she knew the answer. It was always the same. It never changed. But if she admitted that to Spencer it would mean that she still hasn't moved on from Emily. Which, well, she hasn't.

"Goodbye Spence." Paige said quietly before ending the call.

"Is everything ok?" Kris asked when she saw the look on the girl's face.

"Yeah." Paige said distractedly still looking at her phone.

"Paige?" Kris stood up from where she was sitting and walked to her girlfriend's bed where the girl was laying.

"It was just Spencer."

"Yes, I know that. Is Emily ok?" She got straight to the point. She knew that the girl had asked Spencer to let her know if something happened to Emily so her thoughts immediately drifted there.

"Uh... sort of. She... knows about us." She turned and looked at Kris' eyes that were waiting for her to go on. "Apparently Hanna, one of her best friends, saw us kissing and told Emily."

"When did that happened?" Her emerald eyes widened in shock.

"Emily found out today and I think Hanna saw us yesterday."

"How did she take it?"

"Not very well. I mean she wasn't angry from what Spencer told me just... sick." She added. Kris looked at her quizzically but she just told her to drop the matter.

"How about you? Are **you** ok?" The girl asked cautiously.

"I'm not sure." Paige stated. "I mean I didn't want Emily to find out this way but Spencer calling me and talking to me like I killed someone... It's not fair."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that the way Spencer said those things, it was like she was trying to make me feel guilty. Like I actually did something wrong!"

"Can I ask you a question?" Kris asked reluctantly. When Paige nodded she continued. "Why didn't you try to have a long distance relationship with Emily? Why did you asked for space and then never talked to her again?"

Paige closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Emily is stunning, sweet, smart, loyal, tough, great athlete. **Was** a great athlete." The girl corrected. "But Emily is also surrounded by much trouble. She didn't exactly cause this trouble but it's still there. Being with Emily makes you feel like you're in paradise. But the trouble doesn't only affect Emily it affects and the people close to her. Like me. I was scared, I got the chance and left Rosewood. But Emily can't. Not quite yet. If Emily and I decided to have a long distance relationship then I would be a distraction for her. She needs to figure things out. She needs to solve her problems. It would be harder for her to do that if she had to worry about me too."

"But there's more, right?"

_Damn she's smart. _Paige thought.

"I never had any problems in my relationship with Emily or with how she treated me. Except one. I was always the one going after her. I practically did all the chasing every time we broke up. It's not like she didn't express her love... I just... I feel like she took me for granted."

"So what do you want Paige?"

"Can we stop talking about this?"

"But..." Kris tried to protest but Paige didn't give her the chance.

"Kris just drop it." Paige said starting to get frustrated. Kris was surprised by the tone on Paige's voice. She had never seen the girl react this way.

* * *

_Paige was standing at the empty mall. It was dark. All the lights were off and she just stood there, on the ground floor, looking around for any sign that she wasn't alone._

_Suddenly, she heard laughter coming from the second floor. She decided to follow the laughter and started climbing the stairs. When she finally reached the second floor she saw a girl standing at the end of the hallway. But the girl wasn't laughing anymore. From the light that was coming through the windows she was able to recognize the girl. It was Kris. The mascara the girl was wearing was now painting her cheeks like the girl had been crying. The once green eyed, cheerful girl had now completely black eyes and was dressed in black. Paige felt like she was starring in a horror film._

_She immediately snapped out of her thoughts when her roommate rounded a corner and Paige followed practically jogging in an attempt to catch up to the other girl. When she rounded the corner she found Kris starring at two girls kissing. Kris then turned to face her._

"_That's what you dumped me for." She said brokenly gesturing at the two girls that were now looking at each other smiling. The lights in the mall were suddenly turned on and Paige was now able to see who the two girls were._

_And there she was looking at Emily who was staring at a blond girl sporting a pixie haircut. The blond cupped Emily's cheek with one hand and slowly leaned to kiss Emily. Emily reciprocated the kiss and when they both came out for air the girls turned to face Paige._

_Paige could now see the blond's face clearly. She had smoky blue eyes and she seemed around her age but she was by a few inches shorter than Emily._

"_Paige I want you to meet my wife, Talia." Emily said smiling._

Paige woke up in sweat. She abruptly sat up and looked around the dark room the only light coming from the open window. The girl turned her attention to her roommate lying on the other bed. Kris was sleeping with her back to her but Paige couldn't stop thinking about the dream. The state Kris was in.

She slowly got up and headed to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She grabbed her phone on her way to the other room and looked at the time. It was 4p.m. And she knew that in four hours her practice will start. Tomorrow's program was full. She and the rest of the swim team had two hours workout at the gym and then in the afternoon they had a three hours practice at the pool. She needed to sleep but she's scared that if she closes her eyes again she will see another nightmare. Could the blond from her dream actually be Talia?

The girl made her way back to her bedroom and sat on her desk. She opened the second drawer and took out a picture of her and Emily. It was from the Halloween party on the train. Back then she looked so happy. That was probably because she was hopeful that things would get better but they didn't.

"_What went wrong?_" Paige thought to herself. _"What changed?"_

* * *

Next morning Emily woke up later than she expected. She had a hard time sleeping last night. She couldn't stop thinking about Paige. Even the thought of the other girl kissing someone else made her feel sick.

The raven haired girl grabbed her phone from her desk and stared at it. She wanted to make a phone call but she wasn't sure if she should. Gathering all the courage she had she dialed the number and placed her phone on her ear.

* * *

"I'm gonna take a shower." Paige said once she and Kris entered their dorm room. The girls had just finished their morning workout at the gym and were still a little bit sweaty.

"Ok." Kris said as she placed her duffel bag on her bed. Paige made sure that she had everything she needed before getting in the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

Five minutes later her phone started ringing. Kris, who was currently watching TV, stood up from the couch she was sitting on and walked over to her roommate's bed where Paige's phone was. The girl grabbed the phone and walked to the closed bathroom door. She knocked twice.

"Paige your phone is ringing." Kris said loud enough for the other girl to hear.

"Uh... could you answer and tell them that I'll call them later." Paige asked behind the door.

"Sure." Kris looked at the girl's phone again before answering the call.

"Hello?" Kris said in greeting.

"Paige?!" A surprised girl said from the other end of the line.

"Um... no. I'm Kris, Paige's roommate. She's taking a shower so she couldn't answer." The girl explained. "Who am I speaking with?"

"Emily."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Hey guys! So I'm back as I promised but I have to warn you. This chapter is smaller that the last ones. I just felt like ending it there. Anyway I hope you'll still like it. Also thank you SO MUCH for those reviews. They made me really happy! Oh and thank you for the follows too! BUT I have some bad news. Due to some virus probably the next chapter might be a little late. However I can't tell in which chapter but in a few chapter we MIGHT see Emily interact with someone from Stanford. I guess you'll just have to wait and see. Enjoy!**_

* * *

Kris almost dropped the phone. She was talking to Paige's ex. The girl that still meant so much to Paige. Paige never directly admitted that she still had feelings for Emily but she didn't have to. Kris knew. She didn't realize that she hadn't said anything to the girl until Emily spoke again.

"Are you still there?" Emily asked after a while.

"Uh… yes. I'm still here. Do you want me to tell Paige that you called?" Kris said trying to recover from the shock.

"Yes, if that's ok."

"Ok. I'll let her know that you called." Kris said quietly.

"Can I ask you something?" Emily said after a while.

"Sure." Kris thought that the girl was going to ask about Paige's girlfriend so she racked her brain for a decent answer. But she didn't have to.

"Is she happy?" And with this simple question something in the way Kris saw things changed. Kris thought Emily was the type of girl that always gets what she wants. That she didn't really care about Paige and that's why she moved on when Paige moved to Stanford. But Emily did care, she could tell.

The girl contemplated her answer thinking of her relationship with the girl and how happy she seemed. But she knew that beneath that smile there was pain, hurt and fear. "She's trying." She said after a bit. "Now can I ask you something?" She added.

Since Kris heard Paige's love story she wanted to ask Emily some questions. She never actually thought that she would have the chance to ask the girl but now she did. This was one of those questions.

"Yeah."

"Do you love her?" Emily didn't know what to expect from the girl when she said she wanted to ask something but she definitely didn't see that coming. However Emily realized something. For Kris to ask this question meant that she knew who she was in Paige's life. About her and Paige. Which means that Paige talked to her roommate about them. "Yes."

Kris was pretty sure that Emily was going to say that. But that made her even more confused. "If you love her then why did you dated your co-worker once she left?"

Emily wasn't sure if she should answer that question. She didn't have to. It was none of the girl's business. And then it hit her like a train. If Kris knew about her and Talia then so did Paige. _Maybe that's why Paige kissed that girl at the mall._ _But how could Paige have known about her and Talia? Maybe this was one of A's works. This means that her plan actually worked. But this also meant that A hasn't let go of Paige yet. Maybe he's not done with Paige._ Emily didn't have the time to explain to Paige's roommate why she did what she did so she decided to give the girl a quick and not very accurate answer. "I was trying to replace Paige."

Kris remained silent taking in everything Emily told her.

"Look I gotta go. Could you please tell Paige that I called?" Emily was now in a hurry to inform the girls about her new theory.

"Sure. Goodbye." And with that Emily ended the call and was already thinking her next step.

* * *

Few minutes after the call ended Paige got out of the shower oblivious to the conversation that took place between Kris and Emily.

"Who was on the phone?" Paige said as she dried her hair. Kris didn't answer right away. She wasn't sure how the girl was going to react. She took a deep breath preparing herself for the worst.

"Emily." Paige's eyes widened the minute Emily's name came out of her girlfriend's lips.

"What?!" Paige felt a mixture of emotions overwhelm her. She felt angry at Kris for answering the call but she was the one who told her to answer. And then she got panicked. _Why would Emily call? What did she said to Kris? What did Kris say to her?_

"Yeah. She wanted to talk to you." Kris was trying to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal. She knew where Paige's mind wandered.

"And what did you say?" Paige said with a panicked expression taking over her face.

"That you'll call her once you get out of the shower."

"What?! Why would you say that?!"

"Because you told me to!"

_Right. I forgot about that._ Paige couldn't blame Kris. It wasn't her fault.

"You should call her. It seemed pretty important. Plus you can't avoid her forever." Kris said pointing the obvious.

Paige inhaled slowly preparing herself for what was about to happen. She was about to talk to Emily after a month.

"Ok. I'll call her." Kris gave her a small smile and turned her attention back to her homework.

Paige realized she had no idea where her phone was so she started looking around the room.

"Looking for this?" Kris asked her amused, holding the girl's phone.

"Thanks." Paige said and unlocked her phone. She quickly dialed Emily's number and stood there for a while with her thumb above the green button. She took a deep breath trying to calm down and her thumb landed on the screen.

"Hello?" Paige heard a voice saying from the other side of the line.

"Um… Emily?" The girl said awkwardly.

"Paige?!" Emily's brain shut down and her heart was beating extremely fast in her chest. Emily had probably sounded too excited and cheery but she didn't care. She never actually thought that Paige would call when she talked to Kris. But she did.

"Hi." The girl didn't know what else to say. "Kris told me you called." She added when she remembered the reason she called in the first place.

"Yes I did."

"Well are you going to tell me why you called?" Paige said smiling when it became obvious that Emily wasn't going to say anything else. For some reason the anger she felt when she had heard about Emily and Talia had now resolved and it was almost as if she was talking to a friend. Almost.

"Right. I…" Emily felt embarrassed she had spaced out while talking to Paige. Her voice was different. She could put a finger on it but something had changed. And then she realized that she did really know why she had called Paige. She just felt the need to hear her voice but she didn't feel comfortable to admit that to the girl. Not since the girl had moved on from her. "I actually called to ask if A has bothered you since you left." _Might as well confirm my theory._

"No, he hasn't."

"He hasn't?" Emily said in confusion. If A wasn't the one that told Paige about her and Talia then who did?

"No, why?"

"Uh… no reason." Emily contemplated whether she should ask Paige about her girlfriend or not. "How've you been?" She asked instead chickening out the last minute.

"I'm good, yeah. What about you? What have you been up to?"

"I'm still alive so I guess that means good, right?" Emily said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I guess so."

"I heard that you've move on, is that right?" Emily asked trying to cover the pain she was feeling.

"Yes. We've only been together for almost a week but she's pretty great." Although Paige meant what she said she couldn't help but miss the raven haired girl.

"That's good to hear." Emily said trying to stop the tears from falling.

"What about you? Any army full of girls following you around Rosewood?" Paige could tell that Emily was trying really hard to cover her tears and even though she couldn't see them she knew they were there. But she couldn't bring herself to acknowledge them.

"No. I'm not seeing anyone right now." _Cause the one girl I really want is three thousand miles and is currently seeing someone._

"Oh, well I'm pretty sure that there's someone out there for you too." Paige said trying to sound like she actually believed what she said.

_Yes. You._ "I suppose. Anyway I gotta go. It was nice talking to you." Emily was now trying really hard to keep it together. It was like Paige had really moved on and had no intention on thinking about their relationship. "Don't be a stranger." She added quietly.

"It's been a pleasure talking to you too. Bye Emily."

_It's been a pleasure talking to you?_ What were they, fifty years old? Emily also noticed that Paige hadn't said anything about calling again. That made her collapse in her bed burying her head in the pillows. She finally let the tears fall. She had lost all hope.

* * *

_**2 months later**_

_The liars were able to find out who A is and are now enjoying their summer before college starts. Spencer, after her parents pulled a few strings is going to attend UPenn while Hanna is going to New York to study fashion design. Aria was able to restore her relationship with Ezra and decided to attend Hollis in order for her to be closer to him and her family. Emily got accepted to Drexel and is trying to adjust in her new life without A and Paige. All four girls had decided to spend their holidays to Rosewood thinking trying to spend as much time as possible together. On the other hand Paige is dreading the moment she and Kris are going to visit the latter's parents. Kris was determined to come out to her parents not sure for the outcome. Her relationship with Paige only got better but never went too far._

* * *

"Paige hurry up! We're gonna loose our flight!" Kris said running around the room trying to find her keys.

"Okay, okay. I'm almost ready." She said placing a pile of clothes inside her suitcase.

"Found them!" The girl said victoriously once she found her keys. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, let's go."

"How can you be so relaxed?! We only have two hours to get to the airport!"

"Relax. We're gonna make it in time." Paige said as she reached Kris placing a kiss on her forehead. Kris smiled and followed Paige to the cab that was waiting outside for them.


End file.
